Idomeneo

LaBella and I went to see the Met HD live streaming of Mozart’s Idomeneo. I had never previously heard of this opera. Mozart wrote it when he was 24, and it’s full of gorgeous music.

It also contains some surprises.

For example, there’s a scene near the end where one of the sopranos calls upon horned serpents to end her pain with death. They oblige, though the Met played her as completely unhinged, with no visible serpents.

There’s also a breeches part. It was sung by a soprano with a distinctly manly look.In the soprano range. Why did Mozart do this? LaBella and I remembered the existence of castratos on our way home.

It was fun. We saw quite a few people we know, presumably because the population of people who attend the HD opera is relatively small and predictable.