Idomeneo (Nov. 6, 1982)

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Librettist: Giambattista Varesco

Levine; Pavarotti, Behrens, von Stade, Cotrubas

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Approximate running time: 3 hrs. 1 min.

Mozart’s once-rare opera has become a favorite at the Met, thanks to James Levine’s loving conducting of the score and this stunning production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. In fact, this telecast follows the Met’s premiere of the opera by only a few weeks, fully capturing the excitement of the audience as it discovered not only a masterpiece, but also a thrilling evening in the theater. Luciano Pavarotti is in resplendent form in the title role of the King of Crete, with Frederica von Stade as a memorable Idamante, his son, who is in love with Ilia, a touching Ileana Cotrubas. Hildegard Behrens’s Elettra is a tour de force.