Iphigenie

Nearly a century before Gluck, another opera called Iphigenie en Tauride - same plot, same protagonists - had immense success on the opera stage.

Nearly a century before Gluck, another opera called Iphigénie en Tauride – same plot, same protagonists – had immense success on the opera stage. This ‘first’ Iphigénie has rather a curious history. The opera was sketched out by composer Henri Desmarest around the year 1695, but he was then banished from France by Louis XIV for having married a young girl without her father’s consent. The uncompleted score of Iphigénie was then entrusted to André Campra. The opera, since lost and forgotten, was rediscovered by Benoît Dratwicki, Director of the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, who marvels at its stylistic unity: ‘Campra easily adopted Desmarest’s style. He just added some virtuoso arias to the divertissements, as well as the tuneful choruses that were his speciality.’ Iphigénie en Tauride had its premiere on 6 May 1704, and was revived throughout Europe from 1711. Thanks to Hervé Niquet, a top-flight team of singers, an orchestra well versed in French repertoire, and all their collaborative research into the practices and specific playing techniques of the early 18th century, Iphigénie sees the light of day once more.

Nearly a century before Gluck, another opera called Iphigenie en Tauride - same plot, same protagonists - had immense success on the opera stage.

Nearly a century before Gluck, another opera called Iphigénie en Tauride – same plot, same protagonists – had immense success on the opera stage. This ‘first’ Iphigénie has rather a curious history. The opera was sketched out by composer Henri Desmarest around the year 1695, but he was then banished from France by Louis XIV for having married a young girl without her father’s consent. The uncompleted score of Iphigénie was then entrusted to André Campra. The opera, since lost and forgotten, was rediscovered by Benoît Dratwicki, Director of the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, who marvels at its stylistic unity: ‘Campra easily adopted Desmarest’s style. He just added some virtuoso arias to the divertissements, as well as the tuneful choruses that were his speciality.’ Iphigénie en Tauride had its premiere on 6 May 1704, and was revived throughout Europe from 1711. Thanks to Hervé Niquet, a top-flight team of singers, an orchestra well versed in French repertoire, and all their collaborative research into the practices and specific playing techniques of the early 18th century, Iphigénie sees the light of day once more.

Since the Baroque revival of the late 1980s, Iphigenie en Aulide is Gluck's only French opera to have remained unrecorded on period instruments. To celebrate it's 250th anniversary in 2024, Julien Chauvin, Le Concert de la Loge, Les Chantres du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and a top-flight cast led by Judith van Wanroij, Stephanie d'Oustrac, Cyrille Dubois, Tassis Christoyannis, Jean-Sebastien Bou and David Witczak have filled that gap with a new recording of the work which revolutionised the aesthetics of French opera.

Since the Baroque revival of the late 1980s, Iphigenie en Aulide is Gluck's only French opera to have remained unrecorded (in the studio and released on CD) on period instruments. To celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2024, Julien Chauvin, Le Concert de la Loge, Les Chantres du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and a top-flight cast led by Judith Van Wanroij, Stephanie d'Oustrac, Cyrille Dubois, Tassis Christoyannis, Jean-Sebastien Bou and David Witczak have filled that gap with a new recording of the work which revolutionised the aesthetics of French opera. It is underpinned by in-depth musicological and stylistic research carried out by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles in collaboration with Julien Chauvin, in this, his first operatic recording.

Since the Baroque revival of the late 1980s, Iphigenie en Aulide is Gluck's only French opera to have remained unrecorded (in the studio and released on CD) on period instruments. To celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2024, Julien Chauvin, Le Concert de la Loge, Les Chantres du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and a top-flight cast led by Judith Van Wanroij, Stephanie d'Oustrac, Cyrille Dubois, Tassis Christoyannis, Jean-Sebastien Bou and David Witczak have filled that gap with a new recording of the work which revolutionised the aesthetics of French opera. It is underpinned by in-depth musicological and stylistic research carried out by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles in collaboration with Julien Chauvin, in this, his first operatic recording.

Since the Baroque revival of the late 1980s, Iphigenie en Aulide is Gluck's only French opera to have remained unrecorded on period instruments. To celebrate it's 250th anniversary in 2024, Julien Chauvin, Le Concert de la Loge, Les Chantres du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and a top-flight cast led by Judith van Wanroij, Stephanie d'Oustrac, Cyrille Dubois, Tassis Christoyannis, Jean-Sebastien Bou and David Witczak have filled that gap with a new recording of the work which revolutionised the aesthetics of French opera.

Iphigénie en Tauride draws all of Gluck’s opera reforms to their natural conclusion and a work of great power and beauty is the result. Iphigénie en Tauride is Gluck's most dramatically involving work. It is about familial love and deep friendship, but the waters run deep, and noble aims of sacrifice, duty and protection are played out within the taut drama. Containing much of Gluck's best music.