Pinchgut Opera Presents IPHIGENIE EN TAURIDE, Now thru 12/9

After a joyful comedic romp of The Chimney Sweep, what can you expect from Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride? Written in 1779, it was premiered by the Paris Opera and was Gluck's penultimate opera, performed more than four hundred times over the next fifty years. He wrote a revised version in 1781 in German, Iphigenie auf Tauris which was staged as a tragic singspiel at the National Theatre in Vienna but proved less popular than the original French version.

A quick summary of the story if you're asked at a dinner party: the supposedly dead Iphigenia reunites with her long lost brother and his best friend, ending a cycle of horrific family violence.

Now in all its gory detail...

Diana, goddess of the hunt, has secretly saved Iphigenia from being sacrificed by her own father, Agamemnon, to aid in the abating of the winds so that he could sail smoothly to fight in the Trojan wars. Unbeknownst to all, Diana took Iphigenia as one of her high priestesses overseeing human sacrifice on the island of Tauris in the Black Sea. In the meantime, Iphigenia's mother, Clytemnestra, murdered her husband, Agamemnon to avenge the supposed sacrifice of their daughter. Iphigenia's brother, Orestes then killed their mother in revenge for the death of their father.

The Furies, gods who avenge familial murder, have been driving Orestes mad ever since and he travels to the island of Tauris with his best friend, Pylades, to steal treasure from Diana to placate the Furies. Pylades is nearly sacrificed himself on the island but happily sister and brother are reunited.

Gluck pared back the embellished vocal action of Baroque opera, the long arias with lots of runs and trills and repeated words, and present a more solid form of sung drama. Dialogue and recitative have the same weight - and the same orchestral accompaniment - as the arias. Effective drama and beautiful music without vocal acrobatics. Gluck recycled his better musical ideas from earlier operas so has finessed and refined material to great effect. An unusual aspect for Paris Opera at the time was only having one dance number, a Turkish dance at the end of Act One.

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.

Iphigenie: Caitlin Hulcup

Orestes: Grant Doyle

Pylades: Christopher Saunders
Thoas: Christopher Richardson
Diana: Margaret Plummer

With:

Cantillation Chorus

Orchestra of the Antipodes

Conductor: Antony Walker

Director: Lindy Hume

Set Designer: Tony Assness

Costume Designer: Alistair Trung

Lighting Designer: Matthew Marshall

A Reserve $135

B Reserve $115

C Reserve $90

Under 27s:

B Reserve $45

C Reserve $30

All tickets are sold through City Recital Hall Angel Place box office.

Online

By far the quickest way to secure your seats (and avoid any frustrating phone queues) is to hop on the websitewww.cityrecitalhall.comand search for your preferred date.

By phone

If you prefer talking to real people, then phone 02 8256 2222 or 1300 797 118

(for the cost of a local call).

In person

Drop by City Recital Hall Angel Place to buy your tickets in person. Hours are 9am-5pm weekdays, with extended hours if there's a performance in the hall.

Booking fees apply to phone and online.

Iphigenie en Tauride by Gluck

City Recital Hall Angel Place

Wed 3, Fri 5 & Mon 9 Dec at 7pm

Sun 7 Dec at 5 pm

Share Iphigénie with a Group

Do your friends and family need a special start to summer? Please encourage them to join you for Iphigénie. You'll not only be supporting us further, but with 10 or more people, you can secure the group discount as well. For more info call Jo on 0419 692 905 or e:jo@pinchgutopera.com.au

To post a comment, you must register and login.