I have enjoyed Mackerras' Telarc Mozart opera recordings because of his imagination and brilliance. And sometimes despite less than perfect singing. But Mackerras' knowledge and insight always win through, unifying some very disparate elements in the cast.It's much the same story with this Idomeneo. The conductor is more dramatically pertient and better informed historically than even Harnoncourt and Gardiner. Alas, the central Idomeneo is sung by a young-sounding and colorless tenor. In no way does Ian Bostridge begin to suggest the complexity and stature of his role. The rest of the cast is well chosen, making his monotony of color and lack of ease with Italian seem more apparent.Is Idomeneo without the protagonist worth hearing? In this case, yes.