IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/26/2002
Levine; Domingo, Hong, Deshorties, von Otter, Oswald
SID.19100533
Idomeneo…………….Plácido Domingo
Ilia………………..Hei-Kyung Hong
Idamante…………….Anne Sofie von Otter
Elettra……………..Alexandra Deshorties
Arbace………………Mark Oswald
High Priest………….Antonio Barasorda
Voice of Neptune……..John Relyea
Woman……………….Sandra Lopez
Woman……………….Jossie Pérez
Soldier……………..Tony Stevenson
Soldier……………..Stephen Morscheck
Conductor……………James Levine
Production…………..Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Designer…………….Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Lighting designer…….Gil Wechsler
Stage Director……….David Kneuss
This is Levine’s next to last run of Idomeneo at the Met which is 2006 [last]. This 2002 cast whose main feature is Domingo is surpassed by the 1995 version with a stronger supporting cast, and Levine’s 2006 broadcast which features Roschmann and Kozena both excellent as Ilia and Idamante. Deshorties has had not one, but two Elettras, and the part calls for a Vaness (two excellent broadcasts) or Studer (never broadcast from the Met but in a fall series of performances.) Levine’s Mozart is among his very best operatic work. This is Domingo’s and Von Otter’s second Idomeneo broadcast. Domingo made a strong stab at Idomeno, but I think he’s better on the studio version. The 1995 broadcast also has Carol Vaness’s outstanding Elettra, a much more settled affair than Deshorties. Hong is an excellent Ilia in this 2002 outing. Deshorties had a big success at Glimmerglass this summer as Medea, but her Met work doesn’t always succeed.