MET OPERA - 'IDOMENEO'. IT took the Metropolitan Opera nearly a century to get around to staging Mozart's ''Idomeneo,'' possibly the greatest work of its Baroque type ever written, but they got it right the first time. For sheer depth of vocal talent, grasp of the grand style and impressive decor, last night's first performance of Jean- Pierre Ponnelle'sproduction stood up to the best things the Met has given us in recent years. The Metropolitan had a strong hand to play, with Ileana Cotrubas as the Princess Ilia, Frederica von Stade in the trouser part of Idamante, Hildegard Behrens as a fiery Elettra, John Alexander as Arbace and Luciano Pavarotti in the title role. Timothy Jenkins was a big- voiced High Priest, too, although his upper notes tended to be nasal and strained. Each of the principals had several big arias as well as important contributions to make in ensemble numbers and nobody seriously disappointed. . Idomeneo / Ponnelle, Levine, The Metropolitan Opera [VHS] Ileana Cotrubas (Actor), Frederica von Stade (Actor), Kirk Browning (Director) &. . credits and award information for Mozart: Idomeneo. Levine,Metropolitan Opera Orchestra on AllMusic. James Levine,Metropolitan Opera. Mozart idomeneo ponnelle levine the metropolitan opera 1992. mozart idomeneo ponnelle levine the metropolitan opera 1992 is available in our digital library an. Idomeneo. Levine; Röschmann, Deshorties. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Librettist. ©2016 The Metropolitan Opera. MET OPERA: 'IDOMENEO' By. IT took the Metropolitan Opera nearly a century to get around to staging Mozart's ''Idomeneo,'' possibly the greatest work. » MOZART Idomeneo Levine DVD-VIDEO; Overview. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756. Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Chorus, David. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Idomeneo now holds a firm place in the repertoire as the first of Mozart’s operatic masterpieces. ©2016 The Metropolitan Opera. . conducted by James Levine and directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. of a ravishing Metropolitan Opera. Idomeneo is Mozart's first master opera. Mr. Pavarotti did not attempt the cruelly long and florid Munich version of ''Fuor del mar,'' but he sang the plainer Vienna version with ardor and plangent tone. This decision, a common one for modern Idomeneos, was a divergence from the night's scholarly norm. James Levine, who conducted a large- scaled kind of Mozart and made it sound right for this work and this house, chose to hew to the 1. Munich version for the most part. His exceptions were interesting, however: he cut Idamante's third- act aria, ''No la morte'' and the extended ballet that Mozart wrote as the opera's finale. He allowed Miss Behrens to exit in flamboyant style with ''D'Oreste, d'Aiace'' and gave Mr. Pavarotti the last word, with ''Torne la pace.'' Both numbers were in the original score but were cut for the Munich performance. The effect, no doubt intended, was to give ''Idomeneo'' a more modern operatic ending, rather than having the evening dance itself away in a manner appropriate to the work's style and period. However, Mr. Ponnelle's staging put its own interpretation on the Baroque style. He set the action amidst decaying Classical ruins but togged out his singers in 1. Ilia, who wore something white, flowing and plausibly Grecian. The scenes, which resembled Piranesi engravings, came and went on painted scrims, rather like a gigantic slide show. The singers, who were moved about like chessmen, struck exaggerated attitudes of anguish, remorse and, finally, delight. The chorus, singing gloriously, might have been a gigantic corps de ballet continually playing at the children's game of living statues. At first, all this stylized movement and lack of movement seemed rather outlandish and called such attention to itself that the singers themselves were diminished. But, once his idea made itself clear, Mr. Ponnelle's treatment of the essentially static drama was highly effective in its magnified way. Still, there were jarring moments, as when the High Priest and his acolytes came out to judge Idomeneo looking for all the world like the French Academy in their purple gowns and white bibs. Perhaps the director was following the suggestion of Daniel Heartz, the Idomeneo scholar, who contends that Mozart intended this work as a French tragedie lyrique rather than a conventional opera seria. At any rate, the staging, however bizzarre at times, did not overpower the singers, who caught the powerful emotions that run beneath the surface of this Mozart score. Miss von Stade, a mezzosoprano in a part that originally was meant for castrato and later was given to a tenor, made a marvelously convincing young prince. Miss Cotrubas made an instant impression with her first aria, ''Padre, germani, addio,'' and never let the side down thereafter. Miss Behrens flung herself into the villainous role of Elettra with vocal and dramatic abandon, actually stealing the last act from under Mr. Pavarotti's nose. When she collapsed in a rage at the end and had to be carried off the stage, one could almost believe she had thrown a real fit. For the greatest part of the night, the impressive fact was that a genuine sense of Mozartean ensemble was being communicated. Some of Arbace's music is frequently cut in ''Idomeneo'' performances, because it does not advance the action much. However, Mr. Alexander gave a fine, if somewhat gritty- toned, account of his arias and actually handled his vocal embroidery respectably enough. Mr. Pavarotti shied away from embellishments - wisely, it seemed, when he made a weak stab or two at simple trills. Nevertheless, he sang with a certain elegance and nobility that accorded well with his kingly part and if he slid into tones occasionally, there was still no denying that a major voice was on display.
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