Iphigénie en Aulide

"Iphigénie en Aulide" ("Iphigeneia in Aulis") is an opera by Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. The libretto was written by Leblanc du Roullet and was based on Jean Racine's tragedy "Iphigénie" . It was premiered at the Paris Opéra on 19 April, 1774.

Roles

Synopsis

Calchas, the great seer, prophesies that king Agamemnon must sacrifice his own daughter, Iphigénie, in order to guarantee fair winds for the king's fleet en route to Troy –- a demand that arrives from the goddess Diana herself. Throughout the opera, Agamemnon struggles with the terrible choice between sparing his daughter's life and ensuring his subjects' welfare.

Agamemnon summons his daughter to Aulis, the port where the Greek navy is gathering, ostensibly for her to wed Achilles, the great warrior hero. Then, doubting his decision, the king sends Arcas, his captain of the guards, to send her back home with the fabricated explanation that Achilles has been unfaithful.

However, Arcas also has second thoughts, and he ultimately reveals the plot to Achilles. Achilles rushes to save Iphigénie from sacrifice; however, the Greek people have taken Calchas' prophecy to heart, and they demand the ceremony go forward.

At this point, Iphigénie resigns to her fate, and offers her own life for the sake of her people. Just in time, however, Calchas announces that Diana has changed her mind about the sacrifice. The opera concludes with Gluck's most significant revision of the original myth, when Diana appears personally to consecrate both the wedding and Agamemnon's voyage.

Selected recordings

*José Van Dam (Agamemnon), Anne Sofie von Otter (Clytemnestre), Lynne Dawson (Iphigénie), John Aler (Achille); Monteverdi Choir, Lyon Opera Orchestra, John Eliot Gardiner (Erato, 1990). This recording, sung in French, presents the score as Gluck wrote it.
*Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Agamemnon), Trudeliese Schmidt (Clytemnestre), Anna Moffo (Iphiginie), Ludovic Spiess (Achille); Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Muncher Rundfunkorchester, Kurt Eichhorn (Eurodisc/BMG 1972). Sung in German, this recording presents the score as revised by Richard Wagner.

External links

* [http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/gluck_Aulide.html Libretto] (French)

References