Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera "Alceste" deeply impressed the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Years later, Mozart completed a symphonic trio. Franz Liszt, inspired by a drawing, revisited his symphonic poem form two decades later. Richard Wagner's "Tristan" prelude encapsulates the struggle of hopeless love.
Christoph Willibald Gluck wanted his operatic music to be entirely focused on the gripping depiction of the plot. In the process, he revolutionised the overly long, extravagant baroque models. He set the ancient subject matter of »Iphigénie en Tauride« – a bloodthirsty family tragedy – to music, with finely rendered character studies that portray in gripping ways their personal inner conflicts in beautiful arias. It is an ideal template for Thomas Hengelbrock and his ensembles, who have long been a fixture in European musical life with their synthesis of historically informed interpretations and high-energy music-making. He has invited one of the most moving soprano voices of our time to Hamburg for the starring role in this opera-themed concert: Gaëlle Arquez, who last dazzled as Carmen in the Elbphilharmonie. The plot offers her and the other singers ample opportunity to perform across the full range of emotions. King Agamemnon was once prepared to sacrifice his daughter Iphigénie to the goddess Diana to win the war against Troy. In return, his wife Clytemnestra kills him on his return and their son Orest avenges his father by killing his mother. Diana, however, rescued Iphigénie at the last moment and took her to the island of Tauris as her priestess. This is where Orest comes to escape from the goddesses of revenge who torment him. Iphigénie, who is supposed to sacrifice all strangers on the island to Diana, recognises her brother and, overwhelmed with forgiveness, brings the spiral of violence to an end.
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