Pavarotti makes a deal with the sea god. His payment? His own son. Oops.
Opera royalty Luciano Pavarotti brings dignity and power to the title role in this 1982 production. During a squall at sea, Idomeneo -- the king of Crete -- swears to Neptune that if the monarch survives, he'll sacrifice the first person he encounters onshore. Tragically, that person ends up being his son, Idamante (Frederica Von Stade). Maestro James Levine masterfully conducts the orchestra and chorus of the Metropolitan Opera. A musical production that was designed for the "Live From the Met" series, this program was produced by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.
Acting
Von Stade's trouser role charisma steals every scene she's in.
Direction
Ponnelle's staging makes ancient Crete look like a fever dream.
Score
Mozart's first mature opera hit, conducted by Levine at his peak.
Director
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ponnelle designed this specifically for TV cameras, not stage—revolutionary for 1982 Met broadcasts.
Mozart wrote this at 24, and it bombed in Munich because the singers hated their parts. Petty.
IT
