Review: IDOMENEO, RE DI CRETA at Grand Théâtre

Last week, the Grand Théâtre of Luxembourg welcomed Idomeneo, re di Creta, Mozart’s grand opera seria, in a production by the Grand Théâtre de Genève, in collaboration with the Philharmonic of Luxembourg. For an evening, the tragic fate of a king torn between love, duty, and the gods unfolded under a sea of sound and imagery that captivated from the first notes.

Josy Santos (Idamante)

While every cast member shined in their own way, we need to give this one to Josy Santos. Her Idamante was both commanding and fragile, embodying the noble heart of a son caught in the tides of destiny. Vocally impeccable, Santos’s warm tones carried effortlessly through the hall, but it was her emotional intelligence that truly anchored the performance. Every gesture and glance seemed to emerge from genuine feeling—never overplayed, never underdone. It’s quite a thing to see such harmony between vocal mastery and dramatic truth.

Atmosphere and Symbolism

Rope—endlessly winding, stretching, and tangling—was the production’s visual signature. It evoked the restless motion of the sea, the invisible chains of duty, and the threads of fate binding every character to their doom. What might have been a simple scenic element became, through repetition and creative use, a metaphorical compass guiding the audience through the narrative. The stage direction turned minimalism into art, inviting us to feel the tension of attachment and release at every turn.

Group Numbers

Few moments matched the collective power of the chorus. The ensemble work was nothing short of formidable—precise yet fluid, unified yet rich in emotional nuance. The aesthetic was unmistakably distinct: each tableau felt sculpted in sound and movement, marrying Mozart’s divine architecture with a modern sense of theatrical presence.

This Idomeneo was not merely a revival of a classic—it was a meditation on freedom, fate, and the fragile bonds that define us.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

Photo Credit: © Magali Dougados