Idomeneo, re di Creta

To survive a shipwreck on his return from the Trojan War, Idomeneus, King of Crete, promises Neptune that he will sacrifice the first person he meets when he reaches land. It is his son Idamantes whom he encounters when he steps onto the shore. With Idomeneo, Mozart tells us the story of an insoluble conflict between a promise made to the gods and the feelings of a father. Divine law and the imperatives of love meet head-on. This work finds its roots in the tradition of opera seria, whose dogmas Mozart overthrew, and, due to its many imposing accompagnato scenes and the psychological subtlety of the characters, heralds the great creations of his Viennese period. For his opera debut at La Monnaie, stage director Ivo van Hove presents a contemporary and original interpretation of this work by Mozart.