Freiburg Baroque Orchestra: Idomeneo

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Idomeneo, Rè di Creta KV 366

Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Idomeneo
Kateryna Kasper, Elettra
Olivia Vermeulen, Idamante
Polina Pastirchak, Ilia
Mark Milhofer, Arbace
Kresimir Spicer, Gran Sacerdote di Nettuno
Yannick Debus, La Voce

Zürcher Sing-Akademie
Freiburger Barockorchester
René Jacobs, conductor

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart must have been delighted when he was commissioned to write an opera for the Munich Elector Karl-Theodor in early 1780. Shortly beforehand, the monarch had moved from Mannheim to Bavaria, taking his legendary orchestra, the Mannheim Court Orchestra, with him. Mozart was therefore not only able to draw on a large, outstanding orchestra for the composition, but also on an illustrious cast of singers. Together with the librettist Giambattista Varesco, who did not always satisfy Mozart, he created Idomeneo, Rè die Creta.
The opera is unique in Mozart's oeuvre. On the one hand, it still bears the basic structure of traditional opera seria, while on the other, with its extensive choral numbers, it already points to the future. This is one of the reasons why the opera is so popular with Mozart fans. René Jacobs also counts Idomeneo among his favorite operas by the composer's genius. After the great success of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in the last concert season, this fact alone leads us to expect another top-class opera experience. This is guaranteed not only by a meticulously researching and working conductor, but also by a playful orchestra and first-class vocal soloists who can easily compete with the aforementioned Mannheim court orchestra and the singers of the world premiere in Munich.

A free introductory lecture will take place at 6.15 pm in the Rolf Böhme Hall.