Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride [Import]

IN REFORMING THE FRENCH 'TRAGEDIE LYRIQUE' CHRISTOPH W.GLUCK REACHES HIS PEAK!!!!

After Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) had thoroughly revitalized Italian 'opera seria', he devoted his energies to the reform of the French 'tragidie lyrique' illustrated in his operas 'Orphee et Eurydice' and 'Iphigenie en Tauride', both staged in Paris in 1774

With 'Iphigenie en Tauride' Gluck took the final step in his operatic reform. There are no longer any recitatives; there are dramatic scenes interspersed with arioso-like structures. The arias hardly have self-contained or conclusive forms; rather they are scenes portraying an emotion. All of this makes for a truly enjoyable group of lovely and highly emotional melodies that seem to go on and on and on.

The story, taken from classical legend and closely linked to the events of 'Iphegnie en Aulide', takes place after the conquest of Troy by the Greeks. The opposition between civilised and uncivilised, between high-minded or tortured morality and barbarism exist throughout the opera. This opera really presents a drama of human passions.

John Eliot Gardiner has assembled an outstanding group of singers, who very capably perform their roles to perfection. Diana Montague (mezzo-soprano) as Iphigenie sings with a rich and full tone quality, but also presents a 'lightness' that mezzos do not always 'pull off'. She sings one of the most exquisite arias near the end of Act II "O malheureuse Iphigenie" (O Wretched Iphigenie) in which she bemoans the loss of her family.

John Aler (tenor) as Pylade is simply marvelous in this opera with a true operatic sound; it is not surprising that John Nelson chose him 5 years later (1990) to play Jupiter in his award-winning production of Handel's 'Semele'. Thomas Allen (baritone)plays a very exciting and masculine Orestes and he and John sing two marvelous duets in the opera. These duets both occur near the end of Act III, my favorite being the very exciting and superbly sung "Et tu pretends encore que tu m'aimes" in which they are arguing rather violently as to who will carry out a dangerous mission.

Rene Massis (bass-baritone) as Thoas sings his very very exciting and somewhat violent opening aria with great power and gusto. I loved it all. And the orchestra and Monteverdi Choir added their expertise. It should be mentioned that this is not a period orchestra so possibly the music is not quite articulated as Gluck might have wished; it is still an efficient and responsive group.

Gardiner,to my mind, always manages to please. This recording was made in 1985 which was somewhat early in Gardiner's career. The liner notes are quite informative and the libretto is in English as well as French.

PENGUIN GUIDE TO COMPACT DISCS: "Gardiner's electrifying recording is a revelation - a dramatically paced performance of an opera that is compact and concentrated in its telling of a classical story. Gardiner brings out the full range of expression - the orchestra's grace and delicacy are admirable - whilst the cast is first rate."

GRAMOPHONE (6/1986): "It was in this opera that John Eliot Gardiner made his Covent Garden debut in 1973; his dramatic concentration and his powerful intellectual control make him an ideal interpreter of the score..."

The reformer of opera, Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) is best known for Orfeo, but Iphigenie en Tauride may well be his greatest work. Iphigenie in Tauride dates from 1778, making it Gluck's next to last opera. It was composed during Gluck's lengthy stay in Paris and met with immediate success. The opera is highly compact, consisting of four acts rather than five and running slightly over an hour and one-half. The libretto is in French and written by one Nicolas-Francois Guillard. The story is loosely indebted to Euripides. Goethe also wrote a version of this story.

The opera is unusual in that it involves friendship and brother-sister rather than erotic love. The opera also has as a theme the value of civilization and Englightenment over barbarism. The story is based upon the Greek myth of the house of Atreus. Iphigenia, the daughter of the Greek king Agamemnon, has become a Priestess in Tauride -- the people are called Scythians--after she has been rescued by the goddess Diana from an attempt to sacrifice her. The opera opens with a scene of a calm sea followed by a furious storm which deposits two strangers in Tauride. Following the local custom, the strangers are to be put to death by Iphigenia. The two strangers are Iphigenia's brother Orestes, who is under a curse for killing his mother, and his friend Pylade.

Iphigenia tries to save one of the pair from death, and chooses Orestes, not recognizing him. Orestes insists on saving Pyade. Just before she is to put Orestes to death, she recognizes him. The king of Tauride, Thoas, insists that the sacrifice be carried out. But Pylade returns and kills Thoas. Diana then intervenes and saves the Greeks as the opera comes to a triumphal conclusion.

In this opera, Gluck attained his goal of a near-total fusion between music and drama. The work is a combination of simplicity, directness, and passion. Recitive and arias are fused together almost seamlessly to create a musical unity. Dance movements, characteristic of French opera, are reduced. There are only two brief ballet interludes. Emotions and themes are characterized concisely. The orchestra and the chorus both play major roles in moving the action along.

Iphigenie was neglected for many years, but performances have been increasing. There are several fine choices available on CD. This version of Iphigenie was originally recorded in 1985 and has been released as part of the Penguin "Rosette" collection on Phillips signifying a recording of extraordinary merit. It is also moderately-priced, an important consideration in these difficult times. John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Orchestre de L'Opera de Lyon and the Monteverdi Choir with an outstanding cast of soloists. Mezzo-soprano Diana Montague captures the many passions of the heroine. Baritone Thomas Allen is strong and heroic as Orestes. Tenor John Aler has a contrasting light voice as the faithful friend Pylade. Baritone-Bass Rene Massis snarls and blusters as barbaric King Thoas. The chorus and orchestra are superb and idiomatic, even though this is not a period instrument performance.

With the unified nature of Gluck's score, there still are some wonderful individual moments in the opera. These include the opening orchestral introduction (not an overture) depicting the sea, which moved Hector Berlioz greatly when he first saw the opera. The music for the Sythian chorus in Act I is highly rhythmic and jagged. Iphigenie, Orestes, and Plyade have a moving trio, and there are two duets of friendship between Orestes and Plyade. Some of the striking beautiful moments for Iphigenie include her aria "O malhereuse Iphigenie" from Act II and her scenes with the chorus of priestesses in Act IV. Orestes, Plyade, and Thoas have grand music as well. The opera comes to a rousing conclusion with the final chorus.

This CD comes with a complete libretto and translation together with informative program notes about the opera and about Gluck as a composer whose time may have come at last. For listeners who know only Orfeo, this recording is an excellent way to hear more of this great composer.

Robin Friedman

Gardiner's electrifying reading of `Iphigenie en Tauride' is a revelation. Though his Lyon orchestra does not use period instruments, its clarity and resilience and where necessary, grace a delicacy are admirable. Diana Montague in the name part sings with commendable bite and freshness and Thomas Allen is an outstanding Oreste, characterizing strongly but singing with classical precision. John Aler is a similarly strapping and classy singer, taking the tenor role of Pylade.