CLASSICAL
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday August 8, 2009
IDOMENEO BY MOZARTFreiburg Baroque Orchestra with Rene Jacobs (Harmonia Mundi)Mozart's Idomeneo is rarely performed in the form that Mozart presented it in Munich in 1780. Mozart himself made cuts for an amateur performance in Vienna in 1786 and most producers since have followed suit.Rene Jacobs has restored virtually all the original music in this magnificent recording, although, as he explains in the booklet, he was motivated as much by respect for Giambattista Varesco's libretto as for Mozart's music. The story revolves around an impious vow made by Idomeneo to secure calm seas on his return from Troy, which Jacobs sees as a cautionary tale against religious extremism.The music is remarkable for the expressive care Mozart took, not just with the arias but the accompanied recitatives that reach a new height of dramatic intensity. Bernarda Fink is a richly expressive Idamante and Richard Croft sings Idomeneo with light, warm clarity.Sunae Im, as Ilia, is outstanding and Alexandrina Pendatchanska is full and forceful as Elettra. The orchestral timbre, using original instruments, is richly woody.Peter McCallum
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald