Even though it lacks the fire of Don Giovanni and the heart of Nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo is a significant achievement by a 25-year-old composer on the cusp of a memorable career. Long neglected along with other works of this era, Idomeneo now holds a firm place in the repertoire as the first of Mozart’s operatic masterpieces. Mozart’s Idomeneo is a landmark opera and deserves the effort that James Levine has put into its revival. The opera casts these issues within the framework of the opera seria genre, a stylized format popular in the 18th century that is characterized by a succession of arias and recitatives and a cast of noble characters. The streams are also available through the Met Opera on Demand apps for. Like many stories from Greek myth, Idomeneo explores the motivations and emotions of humans whose fates seem beyond their own control. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Idomeneo Tenor Matthew Polenzani brings both steely. World premiere: Court Theater (now the Cuvilliés Theater), Munich, 1781. Soprano Federica Lombardi is the jealous Elettra, who loses her senses in a mad scene of virtuosic rage.

A distinguished cast of leading Mozarteans comes together to bring the moving drama and dazzling arias to life, with tenor Michael Spyres in the title role of the ancient Cretan king, alongside mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey as the noble prince Idamante and soprano Ying Fang as his conflicted beloved, Ilia. The opera that announced the young Mozart’s genius to the world returns to the Met stage, with acclaimed maestro Manfred Honeck making a notable company debut on the podium.

Idomeneo met opera