It’s Good to Be King – Matthew Polenzani On ‘Idomeneo,’ His Favorite Mozart Opera
David Salazar
OperaWire
Polenzani’s portrayal will be featured as part of the Met’s Live in HD series, after which he will also appear at the Met in “Der Rosenkavalier” and “Don Giovanni.” He will also appear in the 50th Anniversary gala, performing the love duet, “Nuit d’ivresse” from Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” alongside Susan Graham.
During a recent interview with OperaWire, the tenor went so far as to call it the composer’s “greatest opera.” That’s right, with output that includes gems such as “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Don Giovanni,” “Così Fan Tutte” and “Die Zauberflote,” Polenzani, who is among the greatest exponents of these very operas, puts his marker on the early drama.
“For me, this is Mozart’s greatest opera. Psychologically it is his most intensive and complete opera, of the ones I’m aware of,” Polenzani, who is in the midst of performing the title role at the Metropolitan Opera, asserted. “Even the standard rep works that deal with human relationships and drama, in my view, don’t cut so deeply to the core. Maybe in ‘Figaro’ the marital relations and betrayal cut to the core, but in a different way.