Greek National Opera season opening: Iphigénie en Aulide & Iphigénie en Tauride by Dmitri Tcherniakov comes to Athens

The production, that “follows the trail of blood through the impact of war, the tribute to the dead, the deep trauma, the amputation of the flesh, and the ripping apart of the soul” (Le Monde), received an exceptionally successful premiere in July at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in southern France, enthralling audiences who rewarded it with a prolonged standing ovation. According to the New York Times review, “the bitterly melancholy production reflected Gluck’s sobriety […] – a brooding reflection on the numbness of endless conflict.” Their success and global impact are confirmed by Tcherniakov’s Iphigénies being nominated for the “Best new opera production” category at the International Opera Awards 2024. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in Munich on 2 October.

The double-bill presentation of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s two operas aims to shed light on the core of the Atreides curse, which perpetuates a never-ending cycle of violence. How does the victim in Aulis become the executioner in Tauris? This is the earthshaking question posed by Dmitri Tcherniakov as he seeks to find the answers in a family hearth haunted by its dead, through a relentlessly evolving process of dehumanisation with modern-day implications. To illustrate the tragic fate of the Atreides myth, which has turned domestic violence into a universal experience, Tcherniakov selects a house without a specific time period as his stage set – a structure that at times appears opaque and, at other times, absolutely transparent.

Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride –two of the most significant operas of the classicism period– were written during the last quarter of the 18th century, leading to Christoph Willibald Gluck’s emergence as a “reformer” of opera. The two pieces move away from the world of Baroque opera seria, characterised by extensive independent arias and embellished musical compositions that famous performers used to showcase their skills. Gluck introduced a new, dramatic style where the libretto and its enunciation hold major significance. His works consist of larger musical movements, as the music transitions seamlessly from one movement to the next. The orchestra has an enhanced role, not just accompanying the voices but also illuminating the meaning of the words and highlighting the main characters’ emotions.

The two operas are not directly based on Euripides’ works but on French 18th-century texts: Racine’s Iphigénie en Aulide and Claude Guymond de la Touche’s Iphigénie en Tauride. Gluck composed Iphigénie en Aulide without receiving a commission but still managed to present it in Paris in 1774, scoring huge success. The composer produced many more operas for the French capital before turning his attention to Iphigénie en Tauride, which was first performed in 1779 and enjoyed a significant success, perhaps Gluck’s greatest ever. People were talking about the birth of a “new genre” (genre neuf).

This will be the first time the Greek National Opera presents Iphigénie en Aulide. In contrast, Iphigénie en Tauride was first performed at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on 2 October 1946, conducted by Antiochos Evangelatos and directed by Kimonas Triantafyllou. But why should we present the two Iphigénies now? “Because war is once again next to us. Because we need important texts to detach ourselves from the terrifying present and reflect on our ominous future. Because the tragic fate of the House of Atreus –before and after the dramatic outbreak of the Trojan War– is an enduring and universal lesson for humanity”, as Giorgos Koumendakis, the Artistic Director of the GNO, notes.

Born in Moscow, Dmitri Tcherniakov is considered one of the most influential directors of our time. He has been awarded the most prestigious opera prizes not only for his stage direction but also for his scenography work – apart from directing, Tcherniakov also designs the sets for all his productions. Exceptionally prolific and inspired, he has received rave reviews for all of his productions, staged in various venues across the world, including the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theatres, the State Operas of Berlin, Bavaria, and Vienna, La Scala in Milan, Opéra national de Paris, English National Opera, New York Metropolitan Opera, the Bayreuth and Aix-en-Provence Festivals, and more. He closely collaborates with some of the top conductors of our times, such as Teodor Currentzis, Daniel Barenboim, Kent Nagano, Philippe Jordan, Alain Altinoglu, and others. “My first fascination with opera, almost childlike, was for an old vinyl disc of Iphigénie en Aulide, the only recording by RDA that I could find in Moscow in the mid-1980s. It was the performance of a version rearranged by Richard Wagner and recorded in the 1970s featuring Anna Moffo, Trudeliese Schmidt, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Ι kept listening to it until it was scratched and started producing an insufferable swish. And now, about forty years later, the Iphigénies are coming back to me”, notes the director in an interview given to Timothée Picard (Aix-en-Provence Festival). The dramaturgy carries Tatiana Werestchagina’s signature, with Elena Zaytseva in charge of the costumes and Gleb Filshtinsky responsible for the lighting.
The Orchestra of the Greek National Opera will be conducted by the acclaimed German conductor and academic Michael Hofstetter, who will be collaborating with the GNO for the first time. Since January 2020, he has been the Artistic Director of the International Gluck Festival in Nuremberg. For more than thirty years, he has collaborated with various opera companies and music festivals across the globe. These include the Salzburg, Handel, and Karlsruhe Festivals, and performances in cities such as Houston, London, Copenhagen, Oslo, Toronto, Hamburg, Hannover, Stuttgart, Munich, and Paris, among others.

Famous for his consistent guidance of the singers’ stage performance and his insistence on having the first and final word in cast selection, Tcherniakov has chosen the great American soprano Corinne Winters to perform both Iphigénies, in a unique vocal and stage challenge. “She is part of a very small number of contemporary singers who are absolutely fearless. And what makes Corinne unique is her capacity to produce a certain electricity on stage. Of a thousand volts. She generates a constantly burning flame that stems from the inside of each of the characters she incarnates”, says Tcherniakov in an interview given to Timothée Picard for the Aix-en-Provence Festival. The famous soprano has performed over thirty roles at the world’s most prestigious opera houses. Her performance as Káťa Kabanová at the Salzburg Festival has received worldwide acclaim, including the International Classical Music Award and the Best Opera DVD award. Her outstanding performance in terms of vocal skills and stage presence in Gluck’s two Iphigénies received rave reviews from major media outlets worldwide and a genuine standing ovation from opera enthusiasts who filled the performances at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
In the role of Agamemnon, we will see the internationally acclaimed Greek baritone Tassis Christoyannis. The renowned protagonist and current Artistic Director of the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre ”Maria Callas” in Athens has starred in productions of the Greek National Opera since 1989 and has performed at the world’s most important theatres, including Opéra Comique, Opéra national de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, the Royal Opera House in London, and more.
Clytemnestre will be portrayed by the renowned French soprano Véronique Gens, who is considered one of the top performers in both Mozartian and French repertoires. In 1999, she was voted Artist of the Year at the Victoires de la Musique Classique awards. She was also honoured with the titles of Knight of the Legion of Honour and Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. She has stood out for her performances at the most prestigious opera houses worldwide, including Opéra national de Paris, Opéra Comique, Royal Opera House in London, Vienna State Opera, etc.
The role of Oreste will be sung by the distinguished baritone Dionysios Sourbis. He has been a soloist at the Greek National Opera since 2003 while also performing at some of the world’s greatest opera houses, such as Teatro Malibran in Venice, Teatro Del Monaco in Treviso, Teatro Regio in Turin, Opera di Roma, Opéra de Rennes, Gran Teatro Nacional in Peru, Royal Opera House in London and more. He has won first prizes at international competitions, as well as a “Laurence Olivier” award (Royal Opera House, London, 2016)
The French baritone Alexandre Duhamel will perform as Thoas. Duhamel has been hailed as one of his generation’s most intriguing and talented singers. In his career so far, he has sung at the world’s most famous opera houses, including Opéra national de Paris, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, La Scala in Milan, New National Theatre in Tokyo, and more.
The French tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac will sing the role of Pylade. He studied at the Bordeaux Conservatoire with Lionel Sarazin. In 2008, he joined the Opéra national de Paris Opera Workshop and thus started his career in opera. He has been awarded in many prestigious competitions and has appeared at the most famous opera houses worldwide, including Opéra national de Paris, Berlin State Opera, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Grand Théâtre de Genève, La Scala in Milan, and more.
The English tenor Anthony Gregory, hailed for his unique timbre, stage presence, and musicality, will perform as Achille. As an emerging opera soloist, in 2015, he won the prize for “Best Emerging Artist” at the What’s on Stage competition for his performance as Peter Quint and Prologue (The Turn of the Screw) at the Glyndebourne Festival. He has performed at prestigious theatres and festivals worldwide, such as the Royal Opera House in London, the English National Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid, the Zurich Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, and more.
Established and emerging opera singers, including Nikolas Douros, Petros Magoulas, Maria Mitsopoulou, Georgios Papadimitriou, and Soula Parassidis, will complete the excellent cast. Agathangelos Georgakatos will conduct the GNO Chorus.

Opera double bill – New production

Iphigénie en Aulide & Iphigénie en Tauride
Christoph Willibald Gluck
10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 27, 30 October 2024
Starts at: 18.00
Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Greek National Opera – SNFCC
A co-production with the Aix-en-Provence Festival and Opéra national de Paris

Conductor: Michael Hofstetter
Stage director, sets: Dmitri Tcherniakov
Dramaturg: Tatiana Werestchagina
Costumes: Elena Zaytseva
Lighting: Gleb Filshtinsky
Fight director: Ran Arthur Braun
Chorus master: Agathangelos Georgakatos

Iphigénie en Aulide 
Αgamemnon: Tassis Christoyannis
Clytemnestre: Véronique Gens
Iphigénie: Corinne Winters
Achille: Anthony Gregory
Patrocle: Nikolas Douros
Calchas: Petros Magoulas
Arcas: Georgios Papadimitriou
Diane: Soula Parassidis

Iphigénie en Tauride 
Iphigénie: Corinne Winters
Thoas: Alexandre Duhamel
Oreste: Dionysios Sourbis
Pylade: Stanislas de Barbeyrac
Α priestess: Maria Mitsopoulou
Diane: Soula Parassidis
A Scythian / Minister of the Sanctuary: Georgios Papadimitriou

With the Orchestra and Chorus of the Greek National Opera

Running time of Iphigénie en Aulide: approx. 1 hour and 50 minutes
Intermission: 55 minutes
Running time of Iphigénie en Tauride: approx. 1 hour and 50 minutes

Major Sponsor: PPC
Lead Donor of the GNO & Production donor: Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)

Photos: Monika Rittershaus