Organization

Conductor

Julia Jones

Stage director

Nigel Lowery

Set designer

Dramaturge

Ute Haferburg

Chorus master

Henryk Polus

Lighting designer

Hermann Münzer

Musical Assistant

Hiroshi Ishizaska

Assistant Director

Björn Jensen

Stage design assistan

Marion Andrea Menziger

Costume Assistan

Selina Peyer

Lighting/surtitling

Claudia Christern

Singer

Tenor

Keith Lewis

Idomeneo

Countertenor

Gisela Schubert

Idamante

Soprano

Maya Boog

Ilia

Jennifer Rhys-Davies

Elettra

John Cogram

High priest of Neptune

Bass

Jens Larsen

The voice

Theater Basel

Others

Chor des Theater Basel

Statisterie Theater Basel

Basel

Switzerland

Foyer Grosse Bühne

Idomeneo Mozart

Public

Approved

Neptun erscheint auf dem Meer. Er gibt den Winden ein Zeichen, sich in ihre Höhlen zurückzuziehen. Das Meer beruhigt sich allmählich. Idomeneo erblickt den Meeresgott und ruft seine Macht an. Neptun richtet einen finsteren und drohenden Blick auf ihn und taucht in die Wellen zurück. („Idomeneo“, Szene VIII, Pantomime) „Dem Meer entronnen, habe ich ein Meer in der Brust, noch mörderischer als das erste.“ Nur Idomeneo, König von Kreta, weiss den drohenden Blick Neptuns zu deuten. Er hat sich in die blinde Abhängigkeit des Meeresgottes begeben, ihm zum Tausch für das Überleben seines heimkehrenden Kriegsheeres ein Menschenopfer geschworen: der erste Mensch, der ihm an Land begegne. - Das Opfer ist Idomeneos Sohn Idamante, der die schroffe Ablehnung seines totgeglaubten Vaters nicht begreifen kann. Idomeneo verschweigt sein Gelübde. Vergeblich versucht er, das Menschenopfer zu umgehen. Sein Plan scheitert, Idamante mit der in seinen Sohn verliebten Elettra zurück in ihre Heimat zu schicken. Katastrophen - die Pest, ein alles verschlingendes Meeresungeheuer - zwingen Idomeneo zum Bekenntnis seiner Schuld. Sein Sohn muss geopfert werden, weil der Gott des Meeres keinen weiteren Tausch akzepziert. Idamante ist bereit, in den Tod zu gehen für Vater und Volk. Ilja, gefangene trojanische Prinzessin, überwindet aus Liebe zu Idamante ihren Hass gegen ihre Eroberer und will sich anstelle Idamantes opfern. Der Bann ist gebrochen: ‘La voce’ - die Stimme - erlässt die Blutsühne; sie fordert Idomeneo auf, die Herrschaft an Idamante und Ilja zu übergeben. Denn, so das Orakel, „amor ha vinto“, die Liebe hat gesiegt. Wer ist ‘la voce’? Diesem Rätsel um Mozarts musikalische Tragödie „Idomeneo“, 1780 im Zeichen des Sturm und Drang komponiert, wird der britische Regisseur und Ausstatter Nigel Lowery mit der ihm eigenen märchenhaft-grotesken Szenen- und Bildersprache auf den Grund gehen. Denn, so Wolfgang Willaschek: „Mozart stellte in der Kunstform Oper, die zwei Jahrhunderte den Herrschenden als symbolische Bestätigung ihrer unumschränkten Macht gedient hatte, aufrüttelnde und gesellschaftgefährdende Fragen. Mozart nahm die antike Überlieferung des Menschenopfers zum Anlass für eine auf der Opernbühne seiner Zeit ungewöhnliche Bestandsaufnahme. Die Partitur geriet zur gesellschaftlichen Provokation.“

Deutsch

Neptune appears on the sea. He signals to the winds to retreat to their caves. The sea is gradually calming down. Idomeneo sees the sea god and invokes his power. Neptune scowls at him and dives back into the waves. ("Idomeneo", Scene VIII, pantomime) "Escaped from the sea, I have in my breast a sea even more murderous than the first." Only Idomeneo, king of Crete, knows how to interpret Neptune's menacing look. He has placed himself in the blind dependence of the sea god, swearing to him a human sacrifice in exchange for the survival of his returning war army: the first human to meet him on land. - The victim is Idomeneo's son Idamante, who cannot understand the harsh rejection of his father, who he believed dead. Idomeneo keeps silent about his vow. He tries in vain to avoid the human sacrifice. His plan to send Idamante back to her homeland with Elettra, who is in love with his son, fails. Disasters - the plague, an all-consuming sea monster - force Idomeneo to confess his guilt. His son must be sacrificed because the god of the sea will not accept another exchange. Idamante is ready to die for father and people. Ilja, captive Trojan princess, overcomes her hatred for her conquerors out of love for Idamante and wants to sacrifice herself instead of Idamante. The spell is broken: 'La voce' - the voice - enacts blood atonement; she asks Idomeneo to hand over the rule to Idamante and Ilja. Because, according to the oracle, "amor ha vinto", love has triumphed. Who is 'la voce'? The British director and set designer Nigel Lowery will get to the bottom of this mystery surrounding Mozart's musical tragedy "Idomeneo", composed in 1780 in the spirit of the storm and urge, using his own fairytale-like, grotesque scene and imagery. Because, according to Wolfgang Willaschek: “In the art form of opera, which for two centuries had served the rulers as a symbolic confirmation of their unlimited power, Mozart asked rousing and socially dangerous questions. Mozart took the ancient tradition of human sacrifice as an opportunity to take stock, which was unusual on the opera stage of his time. The score became a social provocation.” British director and set designer Nigel Lowery will get to the bottom of it with his own fairytale-like, grotesque language of scenes and images. Because, according to Wolfgang Willaschek: “In the art form of opera, which for two centuries had served the rulers as a symbolic confirmation of their unlimited power, Mozart asked rousing and socially dangerous questions. Mozart took the ancient tradition of human sacrifice as an opportunity to take stock, which was unusual on the opera stage of his time. The score became a social provocation.” British director and set designer Nigel Lowery will get to the bottom of it with his own fairytale-like, grotesque language of scenes and images. Because, according to Wolfgang Willaschek: “In the art form of opera, which for two centuries had served the rulers as a symbolic confirmation of their unlimited power, Mozart asked rousing and socially dangerous questions. Mozart took the ancient tradition of human sacrifice as an opportunity to take stock, which was unusual on the opera stage of his time. The score became a social provocation.” Mozart took the ancient tradition of human sacrifice as an opportunity to take stock, which was unusual on the opera stage of his time. The score became a social provocation.” Mozart took the ancient tradition of human sacrifice as an opportunity to take stock, which was unusual on the opera stage of his time. The score became a social provocation.”

English

Idomeneo by Mozart, From (2001/2001), Directed by Nigel Lowery,, Conductor Julia Jones, Theater Basel, Basel, Switzerland

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