Mozart: Idomeneo [DVD] [1983]

Musically, however, it's a real treat. The singing is almost uniformly excellent, and the playing of the orchestra under Haitink's beautifully paced and finely nuanced account is as good as anything on record. Philip Langridge is the (now familiar) King. His singing is typically expressive and there is a wonderful range of colour in this interpretation, which to my ears sounds better than his more recent Glyndebourne assumption of the role. True, he doesn't bring the sheer vocal glamour of a Domingo or a Pavarotti, but he is more than a match for them in every other department, and a more natural singer of Mozart than either of them. Jerry Hadley sings his son, Idamante, a role which is more usually taken by a mezzo today. I think of him more as a Lensky or Tamino, but he is young here and sounds fresh and vibrant, and, if his delivery is revealed as a little standardised, this is only because of the strength of the rest of the cast.

Carol Vaness is a fantastic Elettra. It's refreshing to hear someone sound so properly Italianate (you can hear Toscas round the corner) in a role which is often cast with a harder-sounding Germanic voice. Her singing here is at least the equal of her Fiordiligi (also from Glyndebourne with Haitink) - which to me is high praise. Yvonne Kenny looks and sounds ravishing as Ilia, a gorgeously rewarding assumption of a beautifully written role. Again, this may be a fuller voice than one might today associate with this role, but she brings great honesty and opulence of tone to her singing.

The smaller roles are well-taken. Anthony Roden - himself a wonderfully memorable Idomeneo - is a powerful vocal presence as the High Priest, and the voice of Neptune is sung by the tremendously resonant Roderick Kennedy. Perhaps the only disappointment is Thomas Hemsley, who sounds like a curious bit of casting in the baritenor role of Arbace.

Warmly recommended.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?

Report this | Permalink Comment Comment

Langridge brings his characteristic gravitas to the title role. Here is a tremendously well-thought-out performance. Perhaps he doesn't bring the sheer vocal glamour of, say, a Pavarotti or a Domingo, whose versions are also available, but he sings not only with proper weight and superb intelligence, but also with a gripping intensity of meaning. Carol Vaness is almost ideal as Elettra. She sounds dramatically incisive and it's great to hear this rewarding and challenging Mozart role done by someone in whose voice there is a rightly Italianate flavour, with Tosca already not far away from her voice. Yvonne Kenny looks and sounds beautiful in the role of Ilia - 'Zeffiretti' is exquisite delivered, and hers is a fuller voice than one might hear as Ilia today, but no worse for that in my humble opinion. The youngish Jerry Hadley is more familiar to me as a Tamino or a Lenksy, but this, too, is singing of high quality - ardent and ringing, if a little shown up by his colleagues as wanting for more variety of vocal colour. Perhaps the one disappointment might be Thomas Hemsley as Arbace, Idomeneo's confidant, who sounds like a curious bit of casting. Anthony Roden is in fine voice as the High Priest, and Roderick Kennedy as the Voice of Neptune is impressively sonourous.

The orchestral playing is fantastic, and Haitink is every bit as good as any of his rivals in this rich score.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?

Report this | Permalink Comment Comment