Idomeneo Synopsis

Principal Characters:

Idomeneo, King of Crete; Idamante, his son; Ilia, Trojan princess, daughter of Priam, King of Troy; Elettra, princess, daughter of Agamemnon, King of Argos; Arbace, the King's friend; High Priest of Neptune; Voice of the Oracle

The Trojan war has ended. The victorious Greeks, among them Idomeneo, King of Crete, are on their way home after many years. Before Idomeneo's fleet reaches the shore, the ships are destroyed in a terrible storm. Idomeneo makes a bargain with Neptune, the god of the sea: in return for his life he will sacrifice the first person he meets on the shore.

Act I Crete: a dungeon in the royal palace

Ilia, daughter of the defeated King Priam of Troy, is among the Trojan prisoners held captive on Crete. She is torn between her hatred of the Cretan enemy and her love for Idamante, son of Idomeneo, but fears that he loves Elettra, daughter of Agamemnon, who has taken refuge on Crete. Idamante releases Ilia and the other prisoners and then confesses his love to her, but she hides her own feelings. Arbace arrives with news of Idomeneo's death at sea. Elettra, who had hoped that Idomeneo would marry her to Idamante, is desperate, especially so after seeing the behavior of Ilia and Idamante. The dilemma and the triangle have now been created.

On the beach

Idomeneo has got safely to the beach. Idamante, looking for the body of his father among the shipwrecked, sees him, but neither recognizes the other. Idomeneo knows only that this young man must be the sacrifice promised to Neptune. The truth of each’s identity gradually dawns on them, and Idomeneo pushes his son away and rushes off in desperation, leaving behind a confused and unhappy young man.

Act II The royal palace

Idomeneo tells Arbace of his promise to Neptune and both ponder on what to do. Arbace tells the king to send Idamante and Elettra to Argos. With Idamante safely out of the way, they will find another way to placate Neptune. Ilia asks Idomeneo whether he approves of his son's action in freeing the Trojan prisoners. His reassurances calm her fears. The desperate king, however, realizing that Idamante and Ilia are in love with each other, begins to suspect that Neptune's wrath is fanned by this love, and by the release of the captives, and laments the fact that now there will be three victims: Idamante, to be struck down by the sacred axe, himself, and Ilia probably driven to death by grief.

An open place

Elettra bids farewell to Crete, confident that once he is away from Ilia, she will win Idamante's love. But before their ship can sail, a violent storm breaks out, the earth splits open and a gigantic monster rises up from the boiling sea. The Cretans are terrified at the renewed anger of Neptune, and they wonder about the cause. Idomeneo admits to his people that it is his fault, but does not tell of his terrible promise. The crowd flees in horror.

Act III The royal palace

Idamante farewells Ilia: he is determined to fight the sea monster and does not expect to return. At last Ilia admits her love for him. The happy couple's duet is disturbed by the arrival of Elettra and Idomeneo, and the king once more orders his son to leave Crete immediately, without telling him the reason for his apparently unloving and cruel behavior. Arbace brings news of the Cretans' uprising. Led by the High Priest, they are storming the palace, demanding to see the king. The High Priest tells of the sea monster devastating the island, of streets running with blood. Idomeneo tells them the victim's name. On hearing that Idamante must be sacrificed, the crowd is horrified.

An open place

As the sacrificial ceremony is being prepared, sounds of rejoicing in the distance tell of Idamante's defeat of the sea monster. The young man, realizing now that all along his father had acted out of love, arrives and offers himself up for sacrifice to fulfill Idomeneo's promise. The axe is about to come down on Idamante when Ilia rushes up to receive the fatal blow herself. At this, a great noise fills the air and the voice of the Oracle declares that 'love has triumphed'. Idomeneo must give up the throne and install Idamante as the new king, with Ilia as his queen. Everyone rejoices except Elettra who, upon seeing that all her hopes of marrying Idamante are gone, flies into a mad rage. Idomeneo tells the crowd how much he is looking forward to retirement. The people of Crete sing and dance the praises of the new royal couple.