I saw this at Royal Opera House on Thursday night.
Definitely one of those operas that one regrets is so short, barely two hours of music. But top class.
I wonder why so Gluck is so under-rated, almost to the point of obscurity, when everything I have heard by him (albeit a grand total of four operas) is so wonderful.
For some reason I always think of Gluck as being Baroque, perhaps because he used recitative. But then, so did Mozart, and he is definitely regarded as classical. And the references seem to regard Gluck as classical, the opera pioneer of the Classical era.
Iphigénie en Tauride is without a doubt the gayest opera I have seen. And when I say 'gay' I don't mean happy-in-an-old-fashioned way nor do I meant lame/pathetic in a pre-teen way. I mean gay as in homosexual. Although my friend - who insists that every opera has a gay sub-text, usually evident in the music - reckons that this production did not focus much on the gay thing, leaving it ambiguous. I suppose she is right, in that the actual production wasn't very gay, but it didn't need to be, because the opera, despite the title, and despite the fact that the mezzo has the largest portion of singing to do, is really a love story between two men. They refer to each other as 'friends' but that is merely a sop to 18th century sensibilities. Remember they are Ancient Greeks. The synopsis is available on ROH site and wikipedia, but as it based on a play by Euripides I expect everyone knows the story anyway
Musically it is packed full of treats, not a moment of superfluity, a through-composed work with some extraordinary passages. The highlights are Pylade's love song to Oreste, Oreste's mad scene, and Iphigénie's long anguished soliloquy towards the end.
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, guest pit band, were ace. I loved the tone, the crispness and clarity, under stick-waver Ivor Bolton who seemed like a man transformed from the lacklustre Don Giovanni I had caught him conduct in the summer.
Top marks must go to Susan Graham. I had never heard her live before, but on the basis of this, I am rather eager to hear her again, preferably in this role. Oh my word, I shall, in December. A powerful inhabitation of the role vocally and dramatically, full command of the stage. And a wonderful display of extremely florid singing that always threatened to go totally out of control but was in fact an exercise in perfect control. Paul Groves was largely satisfactory as Pylade, with the exception of some strain on higher notes. A more than competent stage performer, just overshadowed by his co-stars. I would certainly like to hear him again, preferably in this role. Oh my word, I shall, in December.
Simon Keenlyside was Oreste, and, strangely, this was first time I have seen him in an entire staged opera*. On the whole he did not disappoint. He is a very physical, lithe stage actor and a splendid singer, and for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed his singing. Except there was a point during his mad scene where he was wide of pitch, both sharp and flat, and decidedly hoarse, cracking as if he was choking. I don't know how much this was to do with the fact that he was lying on his back with his head in the orchestra pit, but I have not heard reports of such a thing occurring on opening night, so I put it down to "one of those things". He displayed some hoarseness in the second half, too, so I assume he probably had a cold or some such. Although I largely enjoyed his performance, I am not disappointed that I will not be seeing him in this role in December. Nothing personal! It will be interesting to hear the differences between a light baritone and a baritenor in the role.
I really liked the production. I have seen a few comments from people round the internet who described it as tosh. Maybe I am perverse but I enjoy productions where it doesn't necessarily make sense.
It was extremely monochrome, with all the characters being dressed in black, and there was very little in the way of scenery, especially no furniture to abuse. The set consisted of walls and a sacrificial altar that rose from descended into the floor as required. No gimmicks such as "Ooh, we have a turntable stage so let's use it."
The walls were undecorated except that at various points, the names of Iphigenie, Oreste, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra appear in chalk and are periodically removed by water. It was not a brightlylit set,with most of the action taking place in darkness. Very noir. It was highly stylistically choreographed, at various times the crowd scenes danced through a routine of stabbing each other with imaginary swords and falling down dead, and during Oreste's mad scene he was lifted up by the chorus of Temple Priestesses and enabled to walk along the wall whilst lying horizontal on the arms of the priestesses. I am not sure of the point of that except to illustrate "This is Simon Keenlyside, he can do this." For those who take note, he remained resolutely fully clothed, refusing to live up to his nickname of "Shirtless", although he did removed his shoes and socks in preparation for being sacrificed, as one does.
At the end the goddess Diana appears as a deus ex machina. She sung her aria from inside the dome at the very top of the opera house. I have heard of this being done but never experienced it before. It seemed pretty effective to me.
This is due to be broadcast on Radio 3 on 6 October and I would definitely recommend tuning in, although it will inevitably lose something being audio only. I suppose it's not an opera that would necessarily attract people with only a passing interest, people who would be inclined to pick one or two warhorses to see in a season, but it really is so engaging and irresistible,with lovely tunes intelligently orchestrated, a love duet, a mad scene and so on.
Interview with Simon Keenlyside
A beautiful simplicity - some background to Gluck and this opera.
Review - 3 stars
A stark masterpiece made more difficult - damned by faint praise.
2 star review, production hated by the critic.
Off with the trousers - interview with Susan Graham.
Interview with Simon Keenlyside
Susan Graham: 'I just love singing French music...It captured my imagination early on.'
* I walked out when he was in Pelleas et Melisande, nothing to do with him or his fellow cast members...
Conductor Ivor Bolton
Iphigénie Susan Graham
Oreste Simon Keenlyside
Pylade Paul Groves
Thoas Clive Bayley
First Priestess Gail Pearson
Second Priestess Claire Wild
Diana Cécile van de Sant
Scythian Jacques Imbrailo
Servant Krzysztof Szumanski
Director Robert Carsen
