Sharpenicity

Mozart’s Idomeneo lives! Almost 200 years since  a 24-year old Mozart first composed and conducted Idomeneo, the Metropolitan Opera  in 1982 created this production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.  James Levine who was prime mover for the that production,  conducted it anew for the Met HD viewers all over the world on March 25, 2017. How do you describe an opera like Idomeneo ? For one thing, you don’t talk about the plot which includes among other things, serious father-son relationship issues, not unlike Abraham and  Isaac situation of God (in this case since post-Trojan war times) Neptune,  ordering a slaying of the innocent son.   This is only one of so many unbelievable situations to give opportunities for sublime singing.  Any attempt to follow a plot line is besides the point.  It’s the music which is convincing that serious human emotions are at stake here. The cast is sublime.  Alice Coote is Idamante who is in love with a Trojan captured princess, Ilia,  sun