{"title":"Christoph Willibald Gluck","description":"\u003cp\u003e1714–1787. German composer. in the Classical Opera Reform tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePioneer of operatic reform in the Classical era, emphasizing dramatic expression over vocal virtuosity. Best known for Orfeo ed Euridice and his Iphigénie operas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSignature works:\u003c\/em\u003e Orfeo ed Euridice, Alceste, Iphigénie en Tauride, Iphigénie en Aulide, Paride ed Elena.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"gluck-la-corona-la-danza-orfeo","title":"Gluck: La Corona \u0026 La Danza","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Orfeo","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624309092586,"sku":"4011790135229","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2056818.jpg?v=1778319604"},{"product_id":"gluck-c-w-paride-ed-elena-opera-845221004327","title":"Gluck: Paride ed Elena","description":"GLUCK, C.W.: Paride ed Elena [Opera]","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624299426026,"sku":"845221004327","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/142679.jpg?v=1778184658"},{"product_id":"famous-flute-concertos-jean-pierre-rampal","title":"Famous Flute Concertos \/ Jean-Pierre Rampal","description":"A household word when speaking of repertoire, legendary flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal devoted just as much effort to establishing the masterpieces in their rightful place as to unearthing countless works from the baroque, classical and romantic eras. As far as concertos are concerned, cornerstones by Bach, Mozart and Vivaldi thus gained worldwide fame, and it went the same way for Ibert, Jolivet and Nielsen. Unfailing lyric sense, purity of style, magnificent tone, grace of phrasing, fabulous virtuosity, tremendous commitment... Critics, colleagues and the public were all running out of superlatives. Immediately valued as references, his recordings still fascinate and often leave the listener exhilarated. This 12 CD set tries the challenge of surrounding these marvels with some of the most dazzling rediscoveries, offering famous and less famous music, but equally glorious interpretations.","brand":"ERATO","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":45862047187178,"sku":"5054197605000","price":44.22,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4223978-2988430.jpg?v=1778354535"},{"product_id":"lully-rameau-rebel-mozart-gluck-les-caracteres-de-la-danse-du-bourgeois-gentilhomme-a-orphee","title":"Lully, Rameau, Rebel, Mozart, Gluck: Les caracteres de la danse - Du Bourgeois gentilhomme a Orphee \/ Goebel, Royal Opera Orchestra","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrench music owes a great deal to dance, from the survival of the Ballet de Cour in the comedies-ballets of Lully, to his tragedies lyriques, these compositions imposed the French choreographic model in Europe. Here is the sequel to Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, which in 1670 marked the peak of the Comédie-Ballet, when Louis XIV stopped dancing. With his Characters of the Dance in 1720, Rebel offers a work without sung text, the first maturity of the choreographic genre, before Rameau gives it a prominent place in Pygmalion, a sumptuous ballet act. When Gluck adapts his Orphée for Paris, he amplifies the danced parts with exceptional inspiration. Finally, Mozart integrates a vast French-style ballet into his Idoménée: the Chaconne is irresistible... Galvanizing the Royal Opera Orchestra, Reinhard Goebel's sharp baton stretches the arc of a century of French-style dance !\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Château de Versailles Spectacles","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012484354282,"sku":"3770011431663","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4057324-2802425.jpg?v=1778241809"},{"product_id":"gluck-arias","title":"Gluck Arias","description":"The celebrated Swedish mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg is a two-time winner of the 'Best Operatic Recital' Award at the International Opera Awards, while Ian Page's previous Gluck recording with The Mozartists ('Blessed Spirit - a Gluck retrospective') was selected by Gramophone magazine among the top 10 Gluck recordings of all time. Following previous partnerships in the opera house and the concert hall, Hallenberg and Page are now collaborating in the recording studio for the first time on a new recital disc of Gluck arias. The backbone of the programme is provided by three arias from Il trionfo di Clelia (Bologna, 1763) that were written for the renowned castrato Giovanni Manzuoli (1720-1782) - one of the greatest singers of his day - and the album also includes previously unrecorded arias from Ipermestra (Venice, 1744 and Le nozze d'Ercole e d'Ebe (Dresden, 1747). Also featured is Gluck's revised version of the exquisite \"Che puro ciel\" from Orfeo ed Euridice (written for Parma in 1769), and the popular \"O del mio dolce ardor\" from the last of the composer's three so-called 'reform' operas, Paride ed Elena. \"In an age where so much music of the past is being explored and made available, Gluck nevertheless remains one of the most neglected and undervalued of the great composers, a name that continues to crop up more often in textbooks than in opera houses or concert halls. We very much hope that you will find this music to be of far more than merely historical interest, and that you enjoy listening to this recording.\" - Ian Page","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012569845994,"sku":"635212092125","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4442647-3418341.jpg?v=1778209826"},{"product_id":"orphee-et-euridice","title":"Orphee et Euridice","description":"Gluck's Orphee et Euridice is a masterpiece of the operatic canon, inspired by one of the most mysterious and cruel stories in Greek mythology. The gods allow Orpheus to descend into the underworld to revive his beloved wife Eurydice, but on condition that he must not look at her while returning. This production from Florence re-imagines this myth as a story for our times. It explores each character anew, highlighting the music and text as a more sophisticated psychological thriller than previously imagined, creating a moving and transformative narrative with which we can all identify.","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012576989418,"sku":"8007144380731","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4420761-3383649.jpg?v=1778194843"},{"product_id":"orphee-et-euridice-1","title":"Orphee et Euridice","description":"Gluck's Orphee et Euridice is a masterpiece of the operatic canon, inspired by one of the most mysterious and cruel stories in Greek mythology. The gods allow Orpheus to descend into the underworld to revive his beloved wife Eurydice, but on condition that he must not look at her while returning. This production from Florence re-imagines this myth as a story for our times. It explores each character anew, highlighting the music and text as a more sophisticated psychological thriller than previously imagined, creating a moving and transformative narrative with which we can all identify.","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012611231978,"sku":"8007144580735","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4420762-3384978.jpg?v=1778211532"},{"product_id":"gluck-haydn-mozart-porpora-legacy-3700187672591","title":"Gluck, Haydn, Mozart \u0026 Porpora: Legacy \/ La Marca, Chauvin, Le Concert de la Loge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca always has something to surprise us with: hybrid programs mixing genres and pushing toward musical frontiers, guests who add to an already rich repertoire, and a keen, passionate vision of both music and the world. The title and the composers of his new album may appear “classical”, but his recording, effectively rooted in eighteenth century Vienna, nevertheless once again broadens the horizons and encourages us to see things differently. “I wanted this program to introduce new ways of listening to Haydn’s concertos,” he explains. “Legacy focuses on passing down rather than inheriting – the benevolence of one generation for the next, encounters between musicians who are also enablers, the progression of the instrument in the music.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naïve","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012621422826,"sku":"3700187672591","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4164205-2943572.jpg?v=1778248367"},{"product_id":"gluck-arie-dopera-il-mosaico","title":"Gluck: Arie d'opera","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis collection of arias from the operas Il Tigrane, Poro, La Sofonisba, L’Ippolito is a testimony of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s opera activity from the year 1743 to 1745. At the age of 30, yet already successful composer, Gluck wrote his operas for the most important events in the cities of Crema, Turin and Milan, almost without a break. He seems to be at the peak of his career, yet he has not created those great compositions such as Orpheus and Euridice, Paride ed Elena, Alceste, that would have linked his name to the reform of opera theorised together with Ranieri de’ Calzabigi and which made him one of the immortal names in the music history. The autographs of these arias no longer exist, nor the scores of the entire operas. Some pieces, sometimes with only basso continuo accompaniment, are all that remain of the enormous fortune that those performances had at the time. To be as close as possible to the original performance, arias with existing orchestral part have been chosen, except for the aria\"\"Se viver non poss’io\"\" from the opera Poro which was orchestrated from the basso continuo and some indication of the first violin motif, as complete scores of the opera Poro no longer exist. The curator of the work is Elena De Simone herself, a mezzo-soprano that – accompanied by Il Mosaico ensemble – already distinguished herself with the rediscovery of the works by Hasse and Maria Teresa Agnesi (Tactus' TC690801, TC720101 and TC720102).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tactus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012649046250,"sku":"8007194108057","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4389453-3299651.jpg?v=1778212722"},{"product_id":"gluck-echo-narcisse-niquet-concert","title":"Gluck: Echo \u0026 Narcisse \/ Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter five triumphs at the Paris Opéra, Chevalier Gluck, reformer of French opera and protégé of Marie-Antoinette, created his last work in 1779: Echo et Narcisse, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. Adopting the style of a pastoral, it was spurned by the public at its premiere, but is a tribute to the splendour of the French tradition. With the support of the Fondation Etrillard, Hervé Niquet has resurrected Gluck's last opus, in which the fates of the nymph Echo, who repeats the last word she hears ad infinitum, and the proud Narcissus, condemned to love only his own reflection, intertwine: two perfectly Baroque myths!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château de Versailles Spectacles","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012738339050,"sku":"3760385430034","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4230837-3141024.jpg?v=1778202142"},{"product_id":"gluck-iphigenie-en-aulide","title":"Gluck: Iphigenie en Aulide","description":"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. 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.","brand":"Alpha","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012757803242,"sku":"3701624510735","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4362710-3219424_f367c889-91e3-43c2-bdd6-66dc2a57ba49.jpg?v=1778234764"},{"product_id":"gluck-opera-gala-397090","title":"Gluck: Opera Gala","description":"\u003cp\u003eGluck Opera Gala is a 2-album compilation of highlights from seven previously released albums on the ORFEO label. It contains excerpts from Gluck's semi seria opera Alceste (album 1, tracks 1-7); his reformist operas Iphigénie en Tauride (album 1, tracks 8-14), Orfeo ed Euridice (album 2, tracks 1-9) and Paride ed Elena (album 2, tracks 10-16); and two works in a more light-hearted vein, Le Cinesi (album 1, tracks 15-16) and Les Pélegrins de la Mecque (album 2, tracks 17-23). All of the recordings are star-studded, featuring performances by legendary artists such as Jessye Norman, Nicolai Gedda, Thomas Moser, Ileana Cotrubas, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Franco Bonisolli and Julia Kaufmann.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Orfeo","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012953559274,"sku":"4011790190525","price":8.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3862688-2651592.jpg?v=1778226740"},{"product_id":"gluck-alceste-kirsten-flagstad-brian-sullivan-francesco-214321","title":"Alceste","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Walhall Eternity Series","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013222715626,"sku":"4035122650143","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3814098.jpg?v=1778257733"},{"product_id":"gluck-demofoonte-alan-curtis-il-complesso-barocco-397342","title":"Gluck: Demofoonte \/ Alan Curtis, Il Complesso Barocco","description":"\u003cp\u003eDemofoonte dates from the early ‘Milan years’ of Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787), long before the radical ‘reform operas’ for which he is most famous and his break with opera seria and the librettos of Pietro Metastasio. Gluck arrived in the northern Italian city in 1737 and was mentored there by composer Giovanni Battista Sammartini. Though Sammartini primarily composed symphonies and music for the church, Milan boasted a vibrant opera scene, and Gluck soon formed an association with one of the city's up-and-coming opera houses, the Teatro Regio Ducal. His first opera, Artaserse, on a libretto by Metastasio, premiered there on 26 December 1741 and opened the Milanese Carnival of 1742. Gluck went on to compose an opera for each of the next four Carnivals at Milan, Demofoonte being the second of these and his third opera overall, premiering on 6 January 1743. In celebration of Gluck’s 300th birthday, the early music scholar and harpsichordist Alan Curtis (1934–2015), founder of Il Complesso Barocco and leader of the period music ensemble for nearly four decades, prepared Demofoonte for performance. All of the arias had been preserved, but nearly all of the secco recitatives were lost. Curtis composed new recitatives in Gluck's style, using Gluck’s earliest fully extant opera, Ipermestra, written less than two years after Demofoonte, as a model. This modern revival was given its first performance on 23 November 2014 in Vienna and was recorded with the same excellent cast of singers the week before, in Northern Italy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brilliant Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013327311082,"sku":"5028421952833","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3873828-2661780.jpg?v=1778248560"},{"product_id":"gluck-musique-dharmonie-lencses-ruhland-947503","title":"Gluck: Musique d'harmonie \/ Lencsés , Ruhland","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Lajos Lencsés learned by chance of some of Gluck's oboe quintets, the manuscript of which was in the Este Library in Modena, nothing held him back from looking at them himself as soon as possible. The delightful pieces are successful arrangements of Gluck's operatic melodies, which represent a veritable enrichment of the repertoire.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eLajos Lencses is generally considered one of the most talented oboists in Europe. He has appeared on over 30 recordings and has actively promoted contemporary music for the oboe. Lencses is not only a virtuoso oboist but is equally talented on the oboe d'amore and English horn. While he has attained nearly the level of acclaim of iconic oboist Heinz Holliger, Lencses has chosen to balance his career as a soloist by remaining the first chair oboist in the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra. His repertory is amazingly broad, taking in works by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Cimarosa, Handel, Rosetti, Mozart, Dittersdorf, Bellini, Koechlin, Nielsen, Françaix, Martinu, and contemporary Hungarian composers Sandor Balassa, Frigyes Hidas, and Josef Soproni. Stylistically, he is known for his ingratiating tone, lyrical sensibilities, and brilliant technique.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bayer","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013367058666,"sku":"4011563104032","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4005524-3298196.jpg?v=1778228042"},{"product_id":"amoretti-arias-by-mozart-gluck-gretry","title":"Amoretti: Arias by Mozart, Gluck, Grétry","description":"Amoretti: Arias by Mozart, Gluck, Grétry","brand":"Berlin Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46015600525546,"sku":"885470003894","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2029160.jpg?v=1778312120"},{"product_id":"gluck-c-w-orfeo-ed-euridice-opera-845221004143","title":"Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice","description":"Gluck, C.W.: Orfeo Ed Euridice [Opera]","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46015609077994,"sku":"845221004143","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/804223.jpg?v=1778333227"},{"product_id":"segovia-andres-guitar-of-andres-segovia-the-hermann-ha","title":"SEGOVIA, Andres: Guitar of Andres Segovia (The) - Hermann Ha","description":"CD with color book \u0026amp; posters","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46020181328106,"sku":"8007144604332","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1633518.jpg?v=1778316167"},{"product_id":"gluck-iphigenia-auf-tauris-sung-in-italian-recorded-live","title":"Gluck: Iphigenia auf Tauris (Sung in Italian) [Recorded Live","description":"Gluck: Iphigenia auf Tauris (Sung in Italian) [Recorded Live","brand":"MYTO Historical","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025349628138,"sku":"8014399501392","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2820153_897e3a66-8fa4-46b4-976a-e7b2035f0f7e.jpg?v=1778289375"},{"product_id":"gluck-orfeo-ed-euridice-first-vienna-version-1762","title":"Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (first Vienna version, 1762)","description":"Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (first Vienna version, 1762)","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025379119338,"sku":"730099606424","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/438619.jpg?v=1778185471"},{"product_id":"gluck-iphigenie-en-aulide-iphigenie-en-tauride-84157","title":"Gluck: Iphigenie En Aulide, Iphigenie En Tauride \/ Minkowski, Gens, Delunsch [blu-ray]","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=871619\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003eNote: This Blu-ray Disc is playable only on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players. \u003c\/b\u003e Christoph Willibald Gluck\u003cbr\u003e  IPHIGÉNIE EN AULIDE \/ IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE\u003cbr\u003e  (Blu-ray Disc Version)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Iphigénie en Aulide\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Iphigénie – Véronique Gens\u003cbr\u003e  Diane – Salomé Haller\u003cbr\u003e  Agamemnon – Nicolas Testé\u003cbr\u003e  Clytemnestre – Anne Sofie von Otter \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Iphigénie en Tauride \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Iphigénie – Mireille Delunsch\u003cbr\u003e  Thoas – Laurent Alvaro\u003cbr\u003e  Oreste – Jean-François Lapointe\u003cbr\u003e  Pylade – Yann Beuron\u003cbr\u003e  Diane – Salomé Haller\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Netherlands Opera Chorus\u003cbr\u003e  Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble\u003cbr\u003e  Marc Minkowski, conductor\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Pierre Audi, stage director \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Recorded live at De Nederlandse Opera, September 2011 \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Bonus\u003cbr\u003e  - Cast gallery\u003cbr\u003e  - Behind-the-scenes documentaries \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: 1080i High Definition\u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LPCM Stereo 2.0 \/ DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: English, French, German, Dutch, Korean\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 229 mins (operas) + 39 mins (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e  No. of Discs: 1  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eR E V I E W: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf Gluck’s two operas devoted to the character of Iphigénie, it is the latter one that has the overwhelming lion’s share of performances and recordings. I have long found that regrettable; while there is no question for me that \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Tauride\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is Gluck’s greatest operatic masterwork, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Aulide \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis a marvelous work in its own right that deserves far better than benign neglect. I have sometimes wondered if, somewhat paradoxically, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAulide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is slighted because its dramaturgy is somewhat more conventional than that of Gluck’s other major “reform” operas, with its frustrated young lovers, parents of divided sympathies, and so forth. However, this also allows Gluck to employ a more varied musical palette, as he has four major roles in different voice ranges (plus a crucial fifth supporting role) instead of only two or three. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is therefore a very good thing indeed to have these two operas, whose plots have a fine formal dramatic continuity, brought together in a single set, even if the results are rather mixed. To deliver the bad news first, the production—as one necessarily expects from the Netherlands Opera—is yet another example of the blight of\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003e Regietheater\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. That said, it is thankfully one that is simply jejune rather than offensive. The set consists of two sets of metal bleachers facing one another, on which the characters clamber up and down, or else stand in between them; the majority of personnel are clad in rumpled trenchcoats, generic military uniforms, or leisure suits. (I was first exposed to the bleachers-and-trenchcoats conceit almost 25 years ago at the Oper Unter den Linden in what was then East Berlin, though I suspect that the straitened finances of a collapsing communist economy, rather than any great desire to promote avant-garde aesthetics, were responsible for its use in numerous productions there.) It all looks done on the cheap, though it probably cost an absurd amount of money. There are a few additional silly twists to this drab spectacle as well. Once Iphigénie (in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAulide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) is named to be a sacrificial victim to the gods, she appears wearing a suicide bomb belt with an X painted on her forehead, while the minor character of Arcas is the obligatory half-naked hunk in skin-tight pants. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFortunately, the stage direction largely ignores the costumes and for once has the characters interact in entirely appropriate ways—no orgies, or oral sex, or groping, or armed figures murdering people\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003e en masse\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, etc., etc. The singers seize the opportunity and, particularly in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAulide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, give intense, even riveting performances that make one forget the dreary sets and garments and focus instead upon the characters and their respective plights. In \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTauride\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, they are for some reason given much less with which to work, and consequently its dramatic voltage is significantly lower. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is a very similar split in the musical values, with those for\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003e Aulide \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebeing very high, and for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTauride\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e somewhat lower. Conductor Marc Minkowski has dedicated himself to promoting the operas of Gluck, and he leads both performances with searing intensity and passion. Compared to Minkowski, John Eliot Gardiner in his 1990 studio recording of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAulide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for Erato—until now the only available recording of Gluck’s original score, as opposed to Wagner’s adaptation of it—is correct but somewhat staid. Véronique Gens is a superb Iphigénie, more characterful and potent than Lynne Dawson is for Gardiner, capturing every one of her character’s tormented twists and turns between hope, joy, resignation, and despair. Frédéric Antouin is her worthy partner as Achille, offering impassioned singing in the gleaming tones of a full-bodied lyric tenor. He too is superior to John Aler, his able counterpart under Gardiner. As Clytemnestre, Anne Sophie von Otter reprises her previous assumption of the role for Gardiner. If her voice is not quite as fresh as it was over 20 years before, it remains a remarkably fine instrument; she shows virtually none of the unsteadiness in her top notes that slightly marred her otherwise excellent recording of Swedish songs I reviewed in 36:3, and she has if anything deepened her conception of her role. Nicolas Teste is likewise an excellent Agamemnon, who makes his almost schizophrenic character highly sympathetic and holds his own in comparison with José van Dam under Gardiner. Christian Helmer is an effective Calchas, if not ideally steady vocally and inferior to Gilles Cachemaille under Gardiner. In the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ecomprimario\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e roles, Laurent Alvaro pushes his voice too hard as Thoas, but Martijn Cornet is a decent Patrocle. Salomé Haller is a competent but not arresting Diane in both operas. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is only one reason I do not give this \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Aulide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e an unqualified endorsement over Gardiner’s CD set as the version of choice; whereas both conductors cut the ballet music that Gluck recycled for his \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDon Juan\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Minkowski also makes further cuts in two choral sections that remove an additional 15 minutes or so of music. Perhaps he believed that to be a painful necessity due to the presentation of both operas in a single evening, but it is greatly to be regretted. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy contrast, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Tauride\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is presented intact. Here my standard of comparison is the other performance of this opera on DVD, the 2000 performance from Zurich under William Christie. I am in near total agreement with James Camner’s review of it in 30:3, being only even more enthusiastic about Christie’s conducting and less so about Anton Scharinger’s singing as Thoas. While the giant bobble-head costumes used in that \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRegietheater \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eproduction are indeed ludicrous, I will grudgingly concede that the pseudo-Freudian conceit behind them has more to offer both visually and conceptually than the drab, sterile setting saddled upon Minkowski, and hence makes for relatively more compelling drama. Also, while three of the four principal singers here are quite solid (those being Mireille Delunsch, Yann Beuron, and Jean-François Lapointe), they all are markedly inferior to Juliette Galstien, Deon van der Walt, and Rodney Gilfrey, their counterparts under Christie, with Galstien and Gilfrey in particular being outstanding in every way, and Alvaro’s wobbly Thoas is a marked liability for Minkowski. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is a supplemental feature, lasting 38 minutes, on the creation of the two opera productions. Since they come together as a pair, my counsel is to get this for the superb \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAulide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e despite the cuts, and tolerate or ignore the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003e Tauride. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: James A. Altena \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46025568616682,"sku":"809478071150","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2142753.jpg?v=1778387877"},{"product_id":"gluck-iphigenie-en-aulide-iphigenie-en-tauride-84075","title":"Gluck: Iphigenie En Aulide, Iphigenie En Tauride \/ Minkowski, Gens, Delunsch","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eGLUCK \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eIphigénie en Aulide.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003e Iphigénie en Tauride\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Marc Minkowski, cond; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eVéronique Gens (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eIphigénie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eMireille Delunsch (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eIphigénie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Salomé Haller (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eDiana\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Nicolas Testé (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eAgamemnon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Anne Sofie von Otter (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eClytemnestre\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Frédéric Antoun (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eAchille\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Martijn Cornet (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePatrocle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Laurent Alvaro (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eArcas\/Thoas\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Jean-François Lapointe (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eOreste\/Calchas\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Yann Beuron (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003ePylade\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Netherlands Op Ch; Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e OPUS ARTE 1099 (2 DVDs: 229:00) Live: Amsterdam 9\/7\/2011 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"EXTRAS12\"\u003e\u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eThe making of “Iphigénie en Aulide”; “Iphigénie en Tauride”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e (38: 00) \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis two-DVD set documents an unusual evening in the theater, with both of Gluck’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e operas being given on one night as a double bill. The risk of mounting such a project is great, not least because these operas are very draining on both cast and audience. The fact that Marc Minkowski was able to pull this off was due in no small measure to the intelligent casting, which duplicated only two singers in both operas: Salomé Haller as Diana and Laurent Alvaro, who sings the small role of Arcas in the first opera and Thoas in the second. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor those unfamiliar with these Gluck operas, they represent somewhat different styles despite their similar subject matter and the fact that they were only written five years apart. Gluck’s growth as a creative artist in those five years was phenomenal, almost as stunning as Igor Stravinsky’s growth between the first and last acts of his opera \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThe Nightingale.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e In \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Aulide,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e although he already has a firm grasp of the new musico-dramatic structures he had created, he was still operating in an essentially lyric vein. There are strophic arias and all of the recitatives are orchestrally accompanied, which gives the music a remarkable sense of unity that was very rare in those days, but by 1779, when he wrote \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Tauride, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehis sureness of handling drama through music had grown to its full maturity. The later opera, even from its opening notes, has a much greater thrust and impetuosity in both the orchestral and vocal writing than was present in the earlier opera. This, then, presents director, cast, and conductor with another challenge, which is how to reconcile the differing styles of these operas in one night’s performance. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePierre Audi’s direction is singularly arresting and brilliant despite sparse sets and updated, somewhat ridiculous costumes. We see Iphigénie and Achille singing to each other in trench coats; when Iphigénie appears later in the first opera, she is wearing a bomb belt on what looks like a prom dress and a greasepaint X on her forehead to indicate that she has been marked for death. Calchas, the High Priest, looks nerdy in a blue suit with shirt open at the collar and horn-rimmed glasses—and, of course, we get our ubiquitous mostly-naked guy in tight slacks (who turns out to be Arcas). In act II, Agamemnon appears in a carnival cruise ship captain’s outfit, complete with dorky hat and a little winged emblem on it (and sunglasses…don’t forget the sunglasses, even though the stage is nearly as dark as pitch). In short, the costumes are rather ridiculous. The set, such as it is, consists of two high but narrow staircases on either side of the very small stage. Yet to Audi’s credit, he directs \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003earound\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e this nonsense to create a dramatic presentation that is both interesting and appropriate to an updating of Greek theater. One can almost envision these singing actors performing their roles in more conventional costumes and sets, and their portrayals are dramatically apropos as well as fascinating to watch. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs for the singers in the first opera, pride of place goes to Nicolas Testé as Agamemnon. He possesses a large, well-focused voice that can even negotiate a trill, and his acting is superb. Nearly as fine are Véronique Gens as Iphigénie and Frédéric Antoun as Achille. Both have smallish voices of the sort that Gluck undoubtedly wrote for, yet they are pointed and carry well and their duets are a joy to the ear. Less impressive is Jean-François Lapointe as Calchas, whose voice has a flutter and an insufficient low range for the role. Anne Sofie von Otter, quite frankly, has little or nothing left of what was once a lovely if small voice. Twenty-plus years of singing, including several roles too large for her, have left the voice wobbly and hollow-sounding. She lacks volume even in so small a theater as this one that De Nederlandse Opera performs in. Her acting as always is spot-on, but I’m not listening to her just for acting. I want some voice, too. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYet through it all, holding everything together, is the golden thread of Minkowski’s conducting, so that in the end one feels justified in going through this experience for his sure-handed leadership. One of the virtues of hearing a conductor this gifted is his way of knitting everything together so that chorus-recit-aria-vocal ensemble all flows seamlessly and naturally, with appropriate dramatic peaks when called for. Besides, it’s such a rare treat to actually see a production of any Gluck opera nowadays that I can almost overlook von Otter’s vocal faults and the silly costumes. Even in the earlier \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eopera, one can clearly hear Gluck’s musical innovations and—more importantly for us today, with 20\/20 hindsight—how much these innovations impacted the music of Cherubini, Spontini, Berlioz, and eventually Wagner. This is especially evident in those orchestrally accompanied recitatives: With their brief, almost blunt melodic thrusts, they stab into the listener’s ears in such a way that they convey the impetuosity of the characters. How ironic, then, that the “bel canto boys,” Rossini-Bellini-Donizetti, turn recitatives back into semi-parlando mush in the early decades of the 19th century. Listen—for just one small example-to the way Agamemnon sings of his daughter, whom he loves, and the tender accents that Gluck imparts to the orchestra behind him, using soft winds; then, immediately after, as he thinks of the sacrifice he is about to make, the tempo doubles and short, stabbing strings cut into his words. This is writing of pure genius. There is no other way to describe it. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe one demerit one can make against Gluck (and, specifically, his librettist) is that they whitewashed the story in order to provide a happy ending. In reality, Agamemnon had no guilt pangs or second thoughts about sacrificing his daughter, and in fact Iphigénie \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ewas\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e killed to appease Diana; but by changing the ending of the story, Gluck was not only able to send his audiences home whistling a happy tune but also to manufacture out of thin air the “legend” that Diana took Iphigénie to her home island of Tauride, where the unfortunate girl spent much of her time doing what her father wanted to do to her: killing—oops, sacrificing—strangers who landed there to the goddess. Fabricated the story may be, but Gluck turned it into one of the most riveting operas ever written. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter a rough beginning, in which her voice is unsteady and very nasal, Mireille Delunsch brings it into clear focus and gives a good account of Iphigénie. Mind you, her performance here will not efface memories of Carol Vaness or Susan Graham, but it’s very fine on its own merits. As in the first opera, Minkowski’s conducting is just spectacular—he really “drives the storm” that opens this opera with intense fury—and again he manages to knit together the various scenes into a cohesive whole. Here, too, the staging makes even more sense that it did in the first opera, and except for Thoas (Laurent Alvaro) wearing a modern-day military uniform (what the heck \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eis \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eit with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRegietheater \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003edirectors and military uniforms? If they want to wear one so badly, just put it on yourself and leave the characters in their traditional garb!) most of the costumes here make much more sense. Sadly, Alvaro’s voice is consistently unsteady despite a bright timbre and his high notes covered and nasal. In short, he’s a poor choice for a role that requires long stretches of singing that are powerful and call for dramatic focus. The two priestesses, Simone Riksman and Rosanne van Sandwijk, are splendid, but the smaller male roles are sung rather pitifully. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHappily, our Oreste (Lapointe) and Pylade (Yann Beuron) are quite fine, which is important because from the point of their entrance onward they get the lion’s share of the singing. The staging of Iphigénie’s aria in which she grieves for her dead family is very well sung and staged, but I question the need to have Thoas come sneering into the picture to kiss her at the end. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuffice it to say that Minkowski uses “original instruments” (or facsimiles thereof) as well as lower pitch (whether the A=409 supposedly used by French court tuner Pascal Taskin in 1783, the A=407.9 used a few years earlier, or Mozart’s A=421 I have no idea…these people really get hung up over this stuff), which makes the music sound at least a half-tone lower than you’re used to it from any A=440 performance, but to me this is all a moot point. It’s the performance that matters, the feeling and intensity of the playing and singing, not which tuning fork was used. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMy lone complaint on packaging is that the booklet does not break down the operas by scenes, thus if you’re skipping ahead to catch a specific aria or scene you’ll have to guess. I’m not sure why they didn’t do this; I’ve seen it in almost every other opera DVD I’ve ever reviewed. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHaving now given detailed descriptions of the performances, we reach the point where one rightly expects an endorsement or a rejection. I find myself divided on this issue, however. Audi’s direction, the conducting of Minkowski, and the singing of some, but not all, of the principals are certainly first-rate, but then we are faced with those cluttered staircases and inappropriate costumes (not to mention the substandard singing of Alvaro as Thoas). On the other hand, knowing how much the world (and particularly Europe) is in the thrall, I might even say the iron grip, of Eurotrash, could you really expect to someday see better productions with equally good direction, singing and conducting? The only other \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Tauride \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eon DVD is the one originally issued by Kultur in 2006 but now on Arthaus Musik 100377, which features the rather strained singing of Juliette Galstian as Iphigénie and yet another idiotic production, with people in giant masks following or mimicking the principals. Overall, I tolerated the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIphigénie en Tauride \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebetter because of the finer costumes and Delunsch’s generally well-focused singing, but you may prefer great audio recordings of these two operas. The best, indeed the only great, recording of the first work is the German-language performance from 1962 with Inge Borkh (Klytemnestra), Christa Ludwig (Iphigénie), James King (Achilles), and Walter Berry (Agamemnon), conducted by Karl Böhm, on Orfeo 428962, while the now-classic Muti recording of the second opera with Carol Vaness, Gösta Winbergh, and Thomas Allen (Sony Classical) is still the benchmark. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Lynn René Bayley \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Opus Arte","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46025610658026,"sku":"809478010999","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2142781_7fd2b5f9-4e2e-448e-9a43-d7c2343629ac.jpg?v=1778319553"},{"product_id":"opera-explained-gluck-orfeo-ed-euridice-smillie","title":"Opera Explained: GLUCK - Orfeo ed Euridice (Smillie)","description":"Opera Explained: GLUCK - Orfeo ed Euridice (Smillie)","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025988145386,"sku":"636943812228","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/108761.jpg?v=1778341261"},{"product_id":"gluck-c-w-orphee-et-euridice","title":"Gluck, C.W.: Orphee et Euridice","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026132979946,"sku":"881488902150","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1569108_ef5ce96b-e57e-46f7-93c5-a381e23dfe18.jpg?v=1778337167"},{"product_id":"gluck-iphigenie-en-tauride-neway-simoneau-giulini-171473","title":"Gluck: Iphigenie en Tauride \/ Neway, Simoneau, Giulini","description":"\u003cp\u003eFalling victim to two Richards in the nineteenth century, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss both reworked and revised Iphigénie en Tauride between 1890 and 1892. This French masterpiece, although manipulated several times, has withstood the test of time and remained quite popular. \"With outstanding French singers of the nineteen fifties and an eponymous heroine who was brilliant rather than subtle, full justice was done to Gluck's rousing music, not least because of Giulini's impassioned conducting... a must for all opera fans.\" - Orpheus Magazine Reviewer\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profil","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026133733610,"sku":"881488160086","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3394755.jpg?v=1778292742"},{"product_id":"don-juan","title":"DON JUAN","description":"DON JUAN","brand":"Apex","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026240983274,"sku":"685738923328","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4318850-3142602.jpg?v=1778215324"},{"product_id":"haydn-f-j-philemon-und-baucis-opera-7318599918136","title":"Haydn, F.J.: Philemon Und Baucis [Opera]","description":"Import Hybrid-SACD pressing.","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46026398335210,"sku":"7318599918136","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1633068.jpg?v=1778324464"},{"product_id":"orphie-eurydice-ac3-dol-sub-ws-114759","title":"Orphie \u0026 Eurydice \/ (Ac3 Dol Sub Ws)","description":"Roberto Alagna (tenor), Serena Gamberoni (soprano) \u0026amp; Marc Barrard (baritone)\u003cbr\u003e  Teatro Comunale di Bologna Orchestra, Giampaolo Bisanti\u003cbr\u003e  Libretto Pierre-Louis Moline\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian\u003cbr\u003e  Length: 104 minutes - Bonus: Backstage \u0026amp; Interviews\u003cbr\u003e  Colour 16\/9 - PCM STEREO, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Theatrical and musical adaptation in one prologue and three acts by David Alagna \u003cbr\u003e  Filmed in High Definition at the Bologna Opera, January 2008\u003cbr\u003e  THE PERFORMANCE: Roberto Alagna as Orpheus in his brother David's new version of Gluck’s masterpiece. A major event recorded in Bologna. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Opting for the French-language version of Orpheus, David Alagna was faced with the task of achieving an appropriately subtle adaptation. In a plot transposed to the present day, Eurydice dies in a car accident on the day of her wedding and Orpheus's quest for his beloved is a dream beginning and ending at the cemetery. No happy ending in this interpretation, but a new approach to characterisation:Amore, sung by a baritone, becomes a funeral parlour employee and Orpheus' guide. Orpheus, of course, loses his loved one forever by turning to look back. World famous tenor Roberto Alagna throws himself body and soul into this production. His incredible vitality, flawless timbre and diction make him a great Orpheus. His partner, young Italian soprano Serena Gamberoni, is simply stunning as Eurydice, while French baritone Marc Barrard is suitably terrifying as the guide to the Underworld. The orchestra is conducted by Giampaolo Bisanti, who masterfully brings out all Gluck's poetry, romantic melancholy and depth.\u003cbr\u003e  A co-production with the Montpellier Opera.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BelAir Classiques","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46026444275946,"sku":"3760115300521","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1600249.jpg?v=1778289125"},{"product_id":"gluck-orfeo-ed-euridice-bumbry-rothenberger-neumann-84387","title":"Gluck: Orfeo Ed Euridice \/ Bumbry, Rothenberger, Neumann","description":"Christoph Willibald Gluck is one of the great reformers of opera, departing from the tried and tested genres of opera seria in the 18th century: Metastasio's drama per musica and Rameau's tragédie lyrique. Gluck sought to restore dramatic truth to musical theatre, dispensing with long, virtuosic arias simply written to play to performers' vanity, and providing a greater musical and dramatic coherence to his operas. His focus on clarity, simplicity and the return to nature is perfectly exemplified in his great work, Orfeo ed Euridice, the first of his 'reform' operas. The work owes much to the style of French opera, with its accompanied recitative and simple vocal lines. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This historic recording from 1966 features a young Grace Bumbry, who was recognised at the Kennedy Centre Honours in 2009 as a defining figure in American arts and culture. Also featuring internationally renowned conductor Václav Neumann, the recording is an acclaimed interpretation of one of Gluck's best-loved works. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Other information:\u003cbr\u003e  - Includes plot synopsis and liner notes on the composer and work.\u003cbr\u003e  - Libretto available on www.brilliantclassics.com.","brand":"Brilliant Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026530881770,"sku":"5028421947037","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2369118.jpg?v=1778308836"},{"product_id":"gluck-orpheus-und-eurydike-a-dance-opera-83368","title":"Gluck: Orpheus und Eurydike - A Dance Opera by Pina Bausch [Blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eNote: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Choreography and stage direction by Pina Bausch.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Dancers: Yann Bridard (Orpheus), Marie-Agnes Gillot (Eurydike), Miteki Kudo (Amor), Ballet de l'Opera national de Paris.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Duration: 104 minutes\u003cbr\u003e  Image: 16:9 HD\u003cbr\u003e  Sound: PCM Stereo, DTS HD Master Audio 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: French, German, English, Spanish, Italian\u003cbr\u003e  Region: All\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BelAir Classiques","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46026586030314,"sku":"3760115304444","price":42.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1600260.jpg?v=1778386966"},{"product_id":"orfeo-ed-euridice-barbier-gud","title":"ORFEO ED EURIDICE: BARBIER-GÜD","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Walhall Eternity Series","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026644291818,"sku":"4035122650761","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3816018.jpg?v=1778276606"},{"product_id":"gluck-orphee-et-euridice-mariotti-teatro-55746","title":"Gluck: Orphee et Euridice \/ Mariotti, Teatro alla Scala","description":"\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=2276952\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on Blu-ray\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eJuan Diego Flórez dazzled audiences and critics alike when he played the virtuoso role of Orphée in La Scala’s first ever staging of Gluck’s opera in its French version: “Juan Diego Flórez delivered a lesson in style. His tone is darker and his projection more self-effacing than in the past, but class is permanent. His agility and legato are utterly thrilling. The ovations were never-ending.” (Corriere della sera) The present release is a production by Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London Recorded live at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, March 2018. Gluck’s Orpheo ed Euridice was first performed in 1762. It is the first of Gluck’s “reform” operas, in which he attempted to replace the abstruse plots and overly complex music of opera sera with a “noble simplicity” in both the music and the drama. The present production was staged by Hofesh Shechter and John Fulljames.","brand":"Belvedere Edition","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46027492688106,"sku":"4260415080523","price":38.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3846402_56ac38a3-c1a2-40e8-b8da-69710198066c.jpg?v=1778280836"},{"product_id":"gluck-orphee-et-euridice-mariotti-teatro-57556","title":"Gluck: Orphee et Euridice \/ Mariotti, Teatro alla Scala [Blu-ray]","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca class=\"links\" href=\"album.jsp?album_id=2276951\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlso available on standard DVD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003eJuan Diego Flórez dazzled audiences and critics alike when he played the virtuoso role of Orphée in La Scala’s first ever staging of Gluck’s opera in its French version: “Juan Diego Flórez delivered a lesson in style. His tone is darker and his projection more self-effacing than in the past, but class is permanent. His agility and legato are utterly thrilling. The ovations were never-ending.” (Corriere della sera) The present release is a production by Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London Recorded live at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, March 2018. Gluck’s Orpheo ed Euridice was first performed in 1762. It is the first of Gluck’s “reform” operas, in which he attempted to replace the abstruse plots and overly complex music of opera sera with a “noble simplicity” in both the music and the drama. The present production was staged by Hofesh Shechter and John Fulljames.","brand":"Belvedere Edition","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46027518968042,"sku":"4260415080530","price":38.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3846403.jpg?v=1778280841"},{"product_id":"vocal-music-hauptmann-m-wolf-h-schumann-r-mend","title":"Vocal Music - Hauptmann, M. \/ Wolf, H. \/ Schumann, R. \/ Mend","description":"Vocal Music - Hauptmann, M. \/ Wolf, H. \/ Schumann, R. \/ Mend","brand":"Musicaphon","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027572871402,"sku":"4012476568768","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2821240.jpg?v=1778311225"},{"product_id":"gluck-orfeo-ed-euridice-sung-in-german","title":"Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (Sung in German)","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Walhall Eternity Series","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46027686215914,"sku":"4035122652611","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3814178.jpg?v=1778276273"},{"product_id":"gluck-orpheus-und-eurydike-a-dance-opera-80911","title":"Gluck: Orpheus und Eurydike - A Dance Opera by Pina Bausch","description":"Choreography and stage direction by Pina Bausch.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Dancers: Yann Bridard (Orpheus), Marie-Agnes Gillot (Eurydike), Miteki Kudo (Amor), Ballet de l'Opera national de Paris.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Duration: 104 minutes\u003cbr\u003e  Image: 16:9 NTSC\u003cbr\u003e  Sound: PCM Stereo, Dolby digital 5.1\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: French, German, English, Spanish, Italian\u003cbr\u003e  Region: All\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This is in a class by itself: it is the late choreographer Pina Bausch's vision of Gluck's Orfeo, originally produced in Germany in 1975. This performance took place at Paris' Palais Garnier in February, 2008. Bausch presents two sets of protagonists--for each solo singing part there is a solo dancer--with the dancing, of course, taking physical precedence, but with the singers thoroughly engaged as well. You might think this awkward on stage but it is not; like any great choreographer, Bausch knows her space, and furthermore has choreographed minimal movements for the singers to emotionally mirror the dancers'. Just so you know, Bausch eschews Gluck's happy ending: both main characters remain dead at this performance's close.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  I could describe the entire performance--so rich, so fluid, so moving--but the opening scene will suffice. As the dancing Orfeo, the magnificent, muscled Yann Bridard enters on the right, dressed only in flesh-colored briefs, and stands perfectly still while mezzo Maria Riccarda Wesseling, the singing Orfeo, cries out Eurydice's name (forgive me for not using the German spelling despite the fact that the opera is sung in German); a dead tree is the only prop.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Stage left is Eurydice herself, silent (the dancer Marie-Agnes Gillot), sitting high above the stage floor in her white, shroud-like wedding dress which reaches to the floor, a bouquet of blood-red roses cradled in her arms. She looks down at the grief around her; black-clad women and men writhe with anguish, their hands imploring and twisting. Orfeo lies face down near the tree and as the mourners leave slowly, he begins a tortured solo, clearly begging the gods' assistance. Bausch's choreography throughout is filled with swaying and upper-body movement; the feet never fidget. After a brief while the singing and dancing seem inevitably intertwined, as if the opera were always performed this way. Much of it gives the impression of a dream.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Hell is watched over by three men in leather aprons; they return after Eurydice dies a second time to take Orfeo. A remarkable moment occurs at the opera's peak moment: Eurydice, now in bright red, has been dancing madly, trying to get Orfeo to look back at her. He does and she dies in his arms as the singing Eurydice falls to the ground. Dancing Orfeo picks her up and places her atop the dancing Eurydice, and singing Orfeo kneels and sings the opera's most famous aria, \"Che faro senza Eurydice\". The effect is ravishing.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The costumes, sets, and lighting by Rolf Borzik, as suggested above, are evocative yet unfussy. The Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble \u0026amp; Choir play and sing handsomely throughout, with the chorus placed in the pit behind the musicians. Thomas Hengelbrock leads sensitively, whipping up a storm for the Furies and serving the needs of both singers and dancers. Mezzo Wesseling's Orfeo is strongly and movingly sung; hers may not be the greatest voice or interpretation, but she fits this production. However, Bridard's dancing of the part is unmatchable--he's on stage throughout and he seems thoroughly transfixed, expressing every emotion wordlessly and with grace and power. Julia Kleiter's Eurydice is lovely, a perfect match for the glorious Marie-Agnes Gillot. And Sunhae Im's shining Amore matches Miteko Kudo's dancing of the part.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  As mentioned, the opera is sung in German, which I guess we will simply have to forgive. Subtitles are in all major European languages; the High Definition picture is superb and the sound (PCM Stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1) matches it. There is some strong DVD competition, but this really is one of a kind.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  --Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BelAir Classiques","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46028037325034,"sku":"3760115300446","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1600248.jpg?v=1778379557"},{"product_id":"gluck-orfeo-ed-euridice-verrett-fasano-i-206338","title":"Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice \/ Verrett, Raskin, Fasano, I Virtuosi di Roma","description":"Sony Classical announces a further batch of complete recordings from the CBS\/Sony and RCA Victor catalogues. The newest installment of this popular series features some unusual repertoire as well as documents of the New York Metropolitan Opera in its postwar heyday. In Rome in 1965, RCA produced a benchmark set of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, with an outstanding all-American cast led by Shirley Verrett as Orpheus and Renato Fasano conducting the Virtuosi di Roma. “This is undoubtedly the best performance and recording of the opera we have had,” wrote the Gramophone reviewer. Penguin Guide concurred: “If you have a mezzo as firm and sensitive as Shirley Verrett, then everything is in favour of your using the original Italian version. Fasano also uses the right-sized orchestra … and adopts an appropriately classical style. Anna Moffo and Judith Raskin match Verrett in clean, strong singing … The recording is vivid and atmospheric.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -----\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Excerpt from a review of the set's previous CD release:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Shirley Verrett makes a deeply impressive Orfeo, firm and pure in sound, classically restrained in expression; and her ''Che faro'', at a moderate, beautifully judged speed, is very finely sung, poised and quietly moving. The many other good moments include ''Che puro ciel'', done with a real sense of wonderment, to sounds of delicious refinement from the orchestra. Anna Moffo provides a competent, not specially interesting Euridice and there is an Amor of real charm and style from the late Judith Raskin.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  The set is conducted by Renato Fasano, whose pacing of the score shows a very sure touch. The orchestra's playing is first-rate; in its long-breathed phrasing, this performance is of its time and represents its time persuasively. There is an excellent chorus; singing in their native tongue—a real advantage.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  – Gramophone","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46039836098794,"sku":"190758107523","price":15.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3472690-2549803.jpg?v=1778818715"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/collections\/960px-Joseph_Siffred_Duplessis_-_Christoph_Willibald_Gluck_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg?v=1777583264","url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/christoph-willibald-gluck.oembed","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}