(Moderation)

Overture

ACT ONE

Ilia's apartments in the royal palace: in the background a gallery

SCENE ONE

Ilia alone

Recitative

ILIA

When will my bitter misfortunes end? Unhappy Ilia,

wretched survivor of a dreadful tempest, bereft of father and brothers,

the victims' blood spilt and mingled with the blood of their savage foes,

for what harsher fate have the gods preserved you? ...

Are the loss and shame of Priam and Troy avenged?

The Greek fleet is destroyed, and Idomeneo perhaps will be a meal for hungry fish ...

But what comfort is that to me, ye heavens, if at the first sight of that valiant Idamante

who snatched me from the waves I forgot my hatred, 

and my heart was enslaved before I realised I was a prisoner.

O God, what a conflict of warring emotions you rouse in my breast, hate and love!

I owe vengeance to him who gave me life, gratitude to him who restored it …

O Ilia! o father, o prince, o destiny! Ill‑fated life, o sweet death!

But yet does Idamante love me? …

Ah no; ungratefully he sighs for Elettra; and that Elettra,

unhappy princess, an exile from Argos and the torments of Orestes,

who fled, a wanderer, to these shores, is my rival.

Ruthless butchers, how many of you surround me?… 

Then up and shatter vengeance, jealousy, hate and love;

yes, shatter my unhappy heart!

No. 1 - Aria

ILIA

Father, brothers, farewell!

You are no more; I have lost you.

Greece, you are the cause;

and shall I now love a Greek?

I know that I am guilty

of abandoning my kin;

but I cannot bring myself,

o gods, to hate that face.

Recitative

ILIA

Alas, here is Idamante coming.

Unhappy heart, you flutter and falter.

Oh grant me some respite from my torments!

SCENE TWO

IDAMANTE
Love, seeking revenge on me for your wrongs, employed your lovely eyes and your beauty ... But you flush and flare up in anger at my love?

ILIA

I take ill the bold ardour of these words. O God!

Consider, Idamante, who your father is, and who mine was.

No. 2 - Aria

IDAMANTE

The fault is not mine, and you condemn me,

my love, because I adore you.

The fault is yours, tyrannical gods,

and I die of distress and pain

for a crime which is not mine.

If you so desire it, at your command

I will pierce this breast of mine;

I read it in your eyes, it's true,

but at least tell me with your lips,

and I will ask no other mercy.

(Moderation)

SCENE FIVE

IDAMANTE

Now indeed Heaven will have satisfied you ...

Cruel fate! … Let us hurry to the shore ... Alas, I am in despair.

Exit

ILIA

I still feel all too keenly Asia's wrongs,

and yet at the name, at the fate of a great hero 

my heart must be moved,

and I cannot deny him my tears.

Exit sighing

SCENE SIX

Elettra alone

ELETTRA

Is Idomeneo dead? … Heaven conspires to cross me in everything. 

Idamante can, at his will, dispose of an empire and of his heart; 

and shall no shadow of hope remain for me? 

Unfortunate and unhappy that I am, I shall see, and Greece will see, to its shame,

a Trojan slave share the throne and the bridal bed … 

In vain, Elettra, you love this ingrate …

Shall the daughter of a king, who has kings as vassals suffer a lowly slave to aspire to these great honours?

Shame! Fury! Grief! I can bear it no more!

No. 4 - Aria

ELETTRA

In my heart I feel you all,

Furies of bitter Hades;

far from such fierce torment

be love, pity, or mercy.

Let her who stole that heart

which betrayed mine

feel my fury

and cruel revenge.

Exit

SCENE EIGHT

Neptune appears on the sea. He signs to the winds to withdraw to their caves. The sea gradually calms down. Idomeneo, seeing the god of the sea, begs for his aid. Neptune, eyeing him grimly and threateningly, plunges into the waves and disappears.

Recitative

IDOMENEO

We are here, safe at last.

SCENE NINE

IDOMENEO

to his followers

O you who, braving the wrath of Mars and Neptune,

followed me loyally in victory and hardship,

leave me here alone a while to breath,

and to confide to my native sky the anguish I have suffered.

Exeunt followers, and Idomeneo alone wanders pensively on the shore.

The ocean is calm, the sweet breeze blows gently,

and the blond god gilds the shores of the blue sea. 

Wherever I look, everything is pleasant and peaceful.

I alone on these barren shores, faint with anguish and want,

o Neptune, only I do not feel within me that calm I attained in your kingdom.

O insane, hateful vow! Cruel oath! 

Ah, which of the gods preserved my life?

Which of you will help me?

No. 6 - Aria

IDOMENEO

I shall see about me a lamenting shade

which night and day will cry to me " I am innocent."

The blood spilt from his pierced breast,

his pale corpse will point out to me my crime.

What horror, what grief!

How many times this heart will die of torment!

He sees a man approaching.

Recitative

IDOMENEO

Heavens! What do I see? Here, alas, is the unfortunate victim approaching ... 

Must my hands be the instruments? ... Accursed hands!

Savage, unjust gods! Detestable altars!

(Moderation)

SCENE TEN

IDOMENEO

to himself

Most pitiless gods!

IDAMANTE

Do you mourn with me my father's fate?

IDOMENEO

sadly

My son! ...

IDAMANTE

joyfully

Ah, father! ... O gods, where am I? ... What delight! ...

Beloved father, let me come to your breast ...

He tries to embrace him

and embrace ...

His father withdraws in agitation

Alas! Why do you spurn me?

You fly from me in despair ... but where?

IDOMENEO

Do not follow me! I forbid it!

It would have been better for you not to have seen me here; 

beware of seeing me again!

He hurries away.

IDAMANTE

Ah, what icy horror numbs my senses ...

Hardly do I see and recognise him than, at my tender words, he abruptly flees.

Alas! How did I offend him and how have I deserved that anger and those threats?

I will follow and see, harsh fate, what more cruel misfortune yet awaits me.

No. 7 - Aria

IDAMANTE

My beloved father I find again, only to lose him.

He scorns and flies from me, trembling with horror.

I thought I would die of joy and love,

but, cruel gods, grief is killing me.

He goes out sadly.

(Moderation)

ACT TWO

SCENE TWO

IDOMENEO

Ilia, I and all I own are at your disposal,

and it will be my concern to offer you clear proof of my friendship.

ILIA

I am sure of it, and I would be wrong to doubt it.

No. 11 - Aria

ILIA


If I have lost my father, my country and my peace of mind,

to Idomeneo

you are now a father to me,

and Crete is for me a blessed land to stay.

Now I recall no more my anguish and distress;

now heaven has given me joy and contentment

to compensate for my loss.

Exit

SCENE THREE

Idomeneo, alone

Recitative

IDOMENEO

How her ambiguous words disturb my mind! ... 

Why does the Phrygian princess suddenly, in her situation, show such tempestuous joy? 

She expresses tender feelings for the prince ...

Could they perhaps be, alas, feelings of love, the joy of hope? ...

I am not mistaken, their love is mutual.

Idamante, you were too quick to loosen those chains ... 

This was the crime for which heaven punishes you ... 

Yes, there will be three victims for Neptune on the same altar,

afflicted with like pain - son, father and Ilia,

one pierced by the knife, two by grief.

No. 12b - Aria

IDOMENEO

Saved from the sea, I have a raging sea 

more fearsome than before within my bosom,

and Neptune does not cease

his threats even in this.

Stern god! Tell me at least,

if my body was so close to shipwreck,

for what cruel purpose

was that wreck withheld?

Recitativo

Hastily and gleefully Elettra comes. Let’s go.

Exit

SCENE FOUR

Elettra alone

Recitative

ELETTRA

What sweeter pleasure than mine was ever felt?

I leave, and the one being I love and adore, o gods, comes with me? 

Ah, my heart cannot contain such joy!

Away from my rival, I shall succeed with caresses and endearments,

so that the fire I could not quench before no longer burns for her eyes but blazes for mine.

No. 13 - Aria

ELETTRA

My dearest, if reluctantly 

your other lover yields you to me,

constrained love does not deter me, 

and your coldness is more alluring to me.

Passion close at hand will drive

from your heart more distant fires;

the hand of love has more power

when the beloved is near.

(Moderation)

No. 16 - Trio

IDAMANTE

Before leaving, allow me,

o gods, to place a kiss on my father's hand.

ELETTRA

Let my heart express through my lips a grateful farewell;

farewell, noble king.

IDOMENEO

to Elettra

Go then and be happy.

to Idamante

This is your lot, my son.

ALL

Answer our prayer, o heaven!

ELETTRA

How great are my hopes!

IDAMANTE

I go!

aside

But my heart remains here.

ALL

Farewell!

IDOMENEO, IDAMANTE

to themselves

Cruel destiny!

IDAMANTE

to himself

O Ilia!

IDOMENEO

to himself

O my son!

IDAMANTE

O my father! To part!

ELETTRA

Ye gods, what will happen?

ALL

O may this agitation cease

and heaven stretch out

a hand in compassion.

BREAK 15 MINS

Refreshments at the bar