1 (return) [ Diet, des ThÉÄtres, III., p. 126. An edition by Christoph Balard appeared in 1712, and the text is printed (Rec. des OpÉras, XII., 1).]
2 (return) [ Idomeneus's vow, his unwillingness to sacrifice his son, the consequent pestilence, and his dethronement by the people, are found in ancient writers; the rest is modern.]
3 (return) [ I owe to the courtesy of Herr Reg. Lenz, of Munich, the original libretto with the dialogues in full, not abbreviated as they afterwards were for composition: "Idomeneo, dramma per musica, da rappresentarsi nel teatro nuovo di corte per comando di S. A. S. E. Carlo Teodoro, nel Carnovale, 1781" (Munich: Frz. Jos. Thuille.).]
4 (return) [ A regular finale to an opera seria was first introduced by Giov. Gammerra in his "Pirro" (1787); so says Manfiredini (Reg. Armon., p. 121), who disliked this mixture of styles.]
5 (return) [ ALoysia Weber was no longer in Munich; she had removed with her family to Vienna, where the good offices of the imperial ambassador, Count Hardeck, had procured her an engagement as prima donna. It is an error to suppose that this visit of Mozart to Munich had anything to do with his relations to Aloysia.]
6 (return) [ Similar stories were told elsewhere of the Maras (Cf. Forkel's Musik. Alman., 1789, p. 122; and the account of Mara in Zelter's Briefw. mit Goethe, III., p. 418; VI., p. 149).]
7 (return) [ "The accompaniment to the subterranean voices," writes Wolfgang (January 3, 1781), "is in only five parts, namely, three trombones and two horns, which proceed from the same place as the voices. The orchestra is silent at this place." This arrangement was not carried out without opposition from Count Seeau.]
8 (return) [ The notice was also published in the Augsburgischen Ordinari-Postzeitung February 5, 1781, No. 31), Rudhart, Gesch. d. Oper zu MÜnchen, I., p. 168.]
9 (return) [ So says Rochlitz (A. M. Z., I., p. 51). His authorities, however, are on the main points untrustworthy.]
10 (return) [ Reichardt, who was usually rather inclined to depreciate Mozart, gives an appreciative criticism of "Idomeneo," and speaks of it as the purest work of art which Mozart ever completed (Berl. Mus. Ztg., 1806, p. 11). Seyfried's criticism of the opera is insignificant (CÄcilia, XX., p. 178), but Ulibicheffs remarks are often striking, and show much delicate perception (Nouv. Biogr., II., p. 94).]
11 (return) [ I should not like to assert that this tremolo passage was not suggested by the words; just as in Idomeneo's aria (13) the words "fuor del mar ho un mar in seno" have suggested the billowy motif of the accompaniment.]
12 (return) [ The recitative preceding this aria was originally (as the libretto shows) much longer and more fully composed; many pages were cut out for performance and some small alterations were made.]
13 (return) [ Hogarth, Mem. of the Opera, II., p. 198.]
14 (return) [ Another musical surprise at the close of Electra's second aria is expressive of the dramatic situation. The last note of the voice passes into a march heard in the distance, and beginning with the second part, so that the audience is at once transported into the midst of it. Mozart has employed the same musical expedient in the march in "Figaro," and Spohr in the minuet at the beginning of "Faust."]
15 (return) [ As one example among many, I may quote Idomeneo's prayer (26). The pizzicato violin accompaniment, imitating the harp, is enlivened by the division of the passage among the strings; then comes an independent fully appointed passage for the wind instruments, with an harmonic movement increasing to a climax, which has an original colouring by means of its peculiar sound effects. And the repetition shows us a new development of the previously given elements. A partiality for certain passages for the wind instruments, mostly in thirds and sixths, is apparent both in "Idomeneo" and in the choruses to "KÖnig Thamos"; it is observable elsewhere, but in moderation.]
16 (return) [ For the quintet on which it was founded see p. 94. The serenata was afterwards made use of in many combinations.]
17 (return) [ Schinck (Litterar. Fragm., II., p. 286) describes a concert of Stadler's in Vienna, 1784: "I have heard a piece for wind instruments by Herr Mozart to-day. Magnificent! It consisted of thirteen instruments, and at every instrument a master! The effect was grand and magnificent, beyond description!"]
18 (return) [ The violoncello and double-bass have, properly speaking, no independent part; they only strengthen the fundamental bass, which would not be sufficiently prominent with the second bassoons alone.]
19 (return) [ This Adagio has been arranged to an offertory, "Quis te comprehendat" (Coblenz: Falkenberg).]
20 (return) [ It has already been remarked that a relationship exists between the melodies of Mozart's instrumental works, and those of his German—never of his Italian—operas; there are in this serenata suggestions here and there of the "Entfuhrung," which was composed soon after.]
