In the middle of a storm, Idomeneo, king of Crete, impulsively negotiates a deal with Neptune. The king has been away for years fighting in the Trojan War. For history and mythology buffs, the Greek Idomeneus is mentioned in both Homer’s Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid, so the character has a certain mythological credibility as a source for a Mozart opera.
At 11 a.m. Saturday at Fort Lewis College, The MET Live in HD will stream a live performance of “Idomeneo,” conducted by James Levine. It will be bittersweet for the conductor who worked with the late, legendary French director-designer Jean-Pierre Ponnelle on many Mozart operas at the Met. Ponnelle’s production looks traditional, but it’s anything but. A gargantuan statue of Neptune traumatizes little citizens with big talk, punishing rhetoric and an outsized ego.
Back to the Trojan War and the art of the deal: To save himself from a cataclysmic storm, Idomeneo begs Neptune to save him and his fleet. OK, says Neptune, but when you land, you must make a human sacrifice. You must kill the first person you see.
Who strolls up on Crete’s pebbled beach but Idomeneo’s grown son, Idamante. Hmmm.
At this catastrophic moment, versions of the story diverge. In some, Idomeneo kills his son, placating Neptune but angering other gods. A plague falls on Crete, and Idomeneo is banished. But in Mozart’s libretto, the cold-blooded agreement to kill the first person seen is followed by dithering, alternatives, tradeoffs, bargaining and, eventually, a happy ending.
It helps to know the opera was commissioned in 1780 for a court carnival by the elector of Bavaria. Myths can be changed for an expensive party.
Mozart and his Italian librettist, Giambattista Varesco, adapted an earlier French opera on the same subject with the same happy ending. There are two storms, a shipwreck, Neptune and an oracle, plus a love triangle in the middle involving Idomeneo’s son, a beautiful Trojan captive, and a jealous Greek princess.
Idomeneo (tenor Matthew Polenzani) keeps his Neptunian bargain a secret from his son until the end. Idamante was originally written for a castrato, but that odd practice was going out of style in Mozart’s lifetime. In modern productions, the role is sung by a mezzo-soprano (Alice Coote at the Met). Ilia, the pliant Trojan captive (soprano Nadine Sierra), knows that the bitter Elettra (soprano Elza van den Heever) wants to marry Idamante and become Queen of Crete. That rivalry heightens until Idamante wakes up and cites an alternate fact. At first, the king won’t have it, but eventually, even Neptune capitulates.
As commissioned, Mozart and Varesco finished the opera in November 1780. But the premiere was delayed two months because of the death of Empress Maria Theresa on Nov. 29. Finally, on Jan. 29, 1781, Mozart conducted the premiere of “Idomeneo” in Munich at the carnival. It was a big success, and today, the opera is part of every international opera company’s repertoire.
Sung in Italian with English subtitles. Running time is four hours and 10 minutes. Bring a thermos and a snack.
Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theater Critics Association.
If you go
What: The MET: Live in HD presents Mozart’s “Idomeneo.”
When: 10:55 a.m. Saturday.
Where: Vallecito Room of the Fort Lewis College Student Union.
Tickets: $23 general, $21 seniors, students and MET members. Available online at www.durangoconcerts.com, by phone at 247-7657 or at the Welcome Center at Eighth Street and Main Avenue, or at the door. Note: Surcharges may apply.
More information: Sung in Italian with English subtitles. Running time: four hours 10 minutes.
