Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride

Following the success of 1999's thrilling Armide, Marc Minkowski and his excellent cast fully convey the power and drama of Gluck's masterpiece. They pull you into the story (based on a play by Euripides) through the emotional truth of their interpretation. The opening quiet strings create an air of mystery dispelled by a ferocious storm magnificently conveyed by these early-music specialists. Within a few phrases of Iphigénie's opening lament, Delunsch creates a believable, sympathetic character. Keenlyside as Oreste and Beuron as his sidekick, Pylade, pack a ton of emotion into their singing, too. Minkowski takes chances, going for the emotional jugular in ways that some may find excessive. But the stakes involved for these characters are of the life-and-death variety, and this recording gets that across as no other does. A more contained version by Martin Pearlman's Boston Baroque on Telarc, boasting another outstanding Iphigénie in Christine Goerke, will appeal to those who find Minkowski overly forceful. I'd hate to be without either. --Dan Davis