Idomeneo

In the organizer's words:

Idomeneo, King of Crete, returns from the Trojan War after a long time. The sea god Poseidon sends a violent storm in which his ship threatens to sink. In the greatest distress, Idomeneo makes an oath: should he reach land safely, he will sacrifice the first man he meets there. But the cruel oath offers no salvation, but falls back on him. The young man by whom Idomeneo is greeted on the beach is none other than his own son Idamante, whom he last saw as a child. Idamante, in turn, does not understand why the father who is so missed shows no affection, only despair. All attempts to avert the sacrifice fail. The god seems merciless in testing people. Only the unconditional love and humanity of the young generation can break the eternal cycle.

For the first time in Cologne, the director Floris Visser, who is in demand throughout Europe, stages the play. Rubén Dubrovsky returns to the Cologne Opera after "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" (2022.23).