Iphigénie en Tauride Returns to the Met; Domingo, Graham To Star

Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride will be revived at the Metropolitan Opera beginning February 12 for a series of performances featuring three of the stars of the 2007 new production premiere: Susan Graham as Iphigénie, Plácido Domingo as Oreste, and Paul Groves as Pylade. Patrick Summers conducts the revival of Gluck's critically heralded but rarely staged opera, which the Met performed in only one season (1916-17) prior to the premiere of the current production in 2007. Gordon Hawkins sings Thoas and Julie Boulianne is Helen; Boulianne is making her Met debut and Hawkins his Met role debut. The production, by Stephen Wadsworth, will be transmitted live to movie theaters around the world on Saturday, February 26 as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

The title role of Iphigénie en Tauride, Gluck's adaptation of the Euripides tragedy, is a touchstone role for Graham, who has performed it with great success at the Salzburg Festival, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and Teatro Real de Madrid. Domingo added the role of Iphigénie's long-lost brother Oreste to his extensive repertoire for the 2007 premiere of Wadsworth's production and earned excellent reviews for his performance in what has traditionally been considered a baritone role. Groves reprises his Pylade, which he has sung at leading opera houses in Madrid, Paris, London, Chicago, and San Francisco. Conductor Summers, who has conducted a diverse range of works at the Met ranging from Salome to Rodelinda, will also conduct the Met's revival of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in February.

Wadsworth's production features sets by Thomas Lynch, costumes by Martin Pakledinaz, and lighting by Neil Peter Jampo.

Live Broadcasts Around the World
Iphigénie en Tauride will be experienced by millions of people around the world this season in movie theaters, on the radio, and on the internet, through distribution platforms the Met has established with various media partners.

The February 26 matinee will be transmitted to more than 1,500 movie theaters in more than 40 countries globally as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

The February 16 performance will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 and XM channel 79, as will the February 21 and 26 performances.
The February 16 performance will also be available via internet streaming at the Met's web site www.metopera.org. The February 26 matinee will be broadcast live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos

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