Idomeneo, re di Creta: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Idomeneo is one of my favourite Mozart operas, and while I enjoyed this 2009 production, it is not my favourite like Ponnelle's film and the Langridge Glyndebourne performance. The music is wonderful, and performed with intensity and style by an alert orchestra and the conducting is sympathetic while not too broad or plodding. The singing and overall performances is also great, with Richard Croft's Idomeneo excellent, Mireille Derlunsch a well-characterised(if not definitive) Elettra, Sophie Karthauser's Ilia beautiful and ideal and Yann Buerona solid Idamante. The production I will say does look fantastic with some great ideas on display, but something about the staging left me cold, for all the craftsmanship I wasn't emotionally thrilled by it for some reason, not even by Neptune and his hairy chest and brandishing a knife. The sound is better than I found with Aida, but occasionally there is a slightly tinny quality to it. All in all, polished and performed very well, but emotionally it just missed something for me. 7/10 Bethany Cox