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(More customer reviews)This is the best DVD of Idomeneo I've seen. The Regies are Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann. I think this production actually premiered a few years back with a different cast (have seen photos of it with Kasarova and Roeschmann), and this is a revival.
Anyhow, it is a minimalistic conceptual staging that works remarkably well in telling the story. Stage-front is extended forward to enclose the orchestra pit in the middle, the backstage is sometimes curtained off, but when exposed, features a triangular upward slope flanked by blue canvas that gets blown up to convincingly simulate the sea. The singers get to move around the orchestra pit a lot and are sometimes between the audience and the pit (dunno how Sir Roger Norrington managed to keep track of them myself...). It works in allowing them to not just be standing around waiting their turn to sing (this is an opera seria, after all).
The performance uses the original Munich version... so we are deprived of Idomeneo's 'Torna la pace' and Idamante's 'No la morte'. But are treated to a superb rendition of the difficult version of 'Fuor del mar' by the excellent Idomeneo of Ramon Vargas, who also shows himself a much better actor than I had expected.
Magda Kozena is vocally very close to perfect as Idamante, tho I don't take to her bipolar (and badly in need of heavy dose of Lithium) theatrical portrayal of him much. Seems this Idamante is either in a manic mode or a depressive one. Ekaterina Siurina is vocally gorgeous as Ilia and a good actress (tho I wish the acting would get into the voice more... Her 'Zeffiretti lusinghieri' sounds lovely but doesn't tell much story). Jeff Francis is a good Arbace and Robin Leggate is a good High Priest. Guenther Groissboeck is the Voice of ...I suppose..Zeus? Can't be Nettuno, since they have the actor Andreas Schlager playing him on-stage and looking disgrunted at what the Voice says. I like that Nettuno is onstage most of the time sinisterly observing the Cretans he's playing his bloody game with.
The show; however, is stolen in plain sight by Anja Harteros' deliciously demented (but not one-dimensionally so) Elettra. Steals practically every scene she appears in. I love the Herrmanns' use of lighting to simulate lightnings during her first rage aria. And she sings every syllable of that obnoxiously deranged Act III 'D'Oreste e d'Ajace'.... Never shouted once, but sings every syllable! This Elettra is as involved theatrically as Hildegard Behren's on the DVD from the Met, and blows all competition out of the water vocally (with the exception of the air-check from Chicago Lyric Opera in 1997 with Carol Vaness as Elettra). Wunderbar!!
The Salzburger Bachchor is wonderful both vocally and in their acting (they are required to act a lot and delivered splendidly). Sir Roger Norrington leads at a brisk pace, though no nuance is lost. A characterful read from the pit.
It is a stellar performance all around. One of the highlights of the M22 Projects (there are some productions I don't care to ever view again, but this one will get worn out by my DVD player very soon). Highly recommended.
btw, there are 2 DVDs (never mind the product info above). The extras are on the 2nd disc... Like all the M22 DVDs (except for 'Tito', perhaps), includes 'Making Of' documentary, clips from other M22 Project stuff, and from Peter Sellar's Mozart opera productions (ack!). Menu is in English, but the work is sung in Italian.
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