Idomeneo

Conductor
Fabio Biondi
José Ramón Martín (28)

Stage Director and Set Designer
Davide Livermore

Costume Designer
Mariana Fracasso

Lighting Designer
Antonio Castro

Videocreator
D-WOK

Choreography
Leonardo Santos

Production
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

Ballet de la Generalitat

Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana
Francesc Perales, director

Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana

Idomeneo
Gregory Kunde

Elettra
Carmen Romeu

Ilia
Lina Mendes

Idamante
Monica Bacelli

Arbace
Emmanuel Faraldo *

Voice of the Oracle
Alejandro López *

High Priest
Michael Borth *

* Centre Plácido Domingo

ACT I

With the end of the Trojan War, Idomeneo (the King of Crete) returns to his island. Electra, daughter of King Agamemnon of Corinth, loves Idomeneo’s son, prince Idamante. But he is secretly in love with Ilia, a Trojan princess who is held prisoner in the court of Crete. In fact, owing to his secret love for her, the Cretan prince has very generously freed the Trojans who are captive on the island of Crete. The girl struggles between her feelings for young Idamante and her duties as member of the Trojan lineage. A violent storm takes Idomeneo by surprise as he returns to his homeland, and he makes a promise to Neptune that, if he saves him from the storm, he will sacrifice in his honour the first person he meets on reaching land. Unfortunately, that person is his own son, Idamante. Unable to fulfil his promise to the god, Idomeneo avoids coming face to face with the boy, who in his turn is distressed. Princess Electra, upset by the love between Idamante and Ilia, is furious and feels estranged.

ACT II

Idomeneo confesses to his loyal adviser Arbace that he is indebted to Neptune and must sacrifice his own son to the god. Following the advice of Arbace, Idomeneo decides to ask Idamante, his beloved son, to leave Crete. He asks him to accompany Electra on her journey to Argos, from where he must never return. Electra is overjoyed, pleased to have won over the young man at long last. Idomeneo is disconcerted when he learns about Ilia’s feelings for Idamante. A terrible storm breaks out just as Idamante and Electra’s ship is ready to set sail, and an enormous monster emerges from the sea. Idomeneo then admits that he cannot fulfil the promise he made to the god of the sea and he offers himself as a sacrifice instead.

ACT III

After admitting to mutual feelings of love for Ilia, Idamante decides to confront death by fighting the sea monster. At the temple, and pressured by the high priest, Idomeneo admits that it is he who has to sacrifice Idamante, to the great distress of his fellowmen. When the crowds gather to witness the sacrifice, Arbace announces that Idamante has managed to slay the monster, but that he is preparing for the sacrifice all the same. Ilia offers her life in exchange for that of the young man, but then a voice announces to the Cretans that the victim has been renounced in exchange for Idomeneo abdicating in favour of his son Idamante, and that the latter shall marry Ilia. The general joy of the people contrasts sharply with the furious despair of princess Electra.