Inside the Music
Idomeneo, re di Creta

In Idomeneo, re di Creta, the 25-year-old Mozart brings together all the musical influences he had already absorbed throughout his remarkably rich early career: the expressive power of Italian opera seria, large-scale scenes and ballets from the French tradition, the symphonic foundations of the Mannheim school, and of course his own musical genius. The result is a dazzling score that marked his major breakthrough as an opera composer.

How does Mozart give voice to the ever-present musical metaphor of the sea? In what ways does he construct his arias and duets? And which orchestral colours does he use to characterize mythical entities such as an oracle? Discover it all in this accessible lecture by conductor Enrico Onofri, enriched with live piano excerpts that reveal the hidden layers of this extraordinary score.