Met Opera Revived Stephen Wadsworth's New Iphigénie en Tauride in 2011

Summary: Met Opera revived Stephen Wadsworth's new Iphigénie en Tauride in 2011, after an absence of two seasons from the opera house's roster.

Susan Graham and Paul Groves reprised their roles as reunited sister and brother, Iphigénie and Oreste, in the 2010-2011 Met Opera season's first revival of the 2007-2008 season's new production of Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride under Stephen Wadsworth's directorship: Richard Tucker Music Foundation @RichardTuckerMusicFoundation, via Facebook June 17, 2020

Met Opera revived Stephen Wadsworth's new Iphigénie en Tauride in 2011, after an absence from the opera house's roster for two seasons (2008-2009; 2009-2010) subsequent to the production's debut in the 2007-2008 season.

The Metropolitan Opera House's debut of a new production of Iphigénie en Tauride by 18th-century German classical composer Christoph von Gluck (July 2, 1714-Nov. 15, 1787) took place Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. Stephen Wadsworth (born April 3, 1953, as Stephen Wadsworth Zinsser) directed the new production, which was co-produced with Seattle Opera. The American opera and theater director had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004, in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Rodelinda by German-British baroque composer George Frideric Handel (Feb. 23, 1685-April 14, 1759).

Iphigénie en Tauride's new production was presented with the opera's original French libretto. The new production received eight performances, with closing night on Thursday, April 19, 2007.

Two seasons (2008-2009; 2009-2010) elapsed between the new production's debut and its first revival. Iphigénie en Tauride's first revival took place in the 2010-2011 season. The revival received six performances. The revival's first performance took place Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011. The second through fifth performances were offered Wednesday, Feb. 16; Monday, Feb. 21; Saturday, Feb. 26; and Wednesday, March 2. The first revival's sixth, closing performance occurred Saturday, March 5.

Patrick Summers (born Aug. 14, 1963) conducted all six of the first revival's performances. The American conductor had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Dec. 24, 1998, in the opera house's 189th performance of Die Fledermaus by Austrian light music composer Johann Strauss II (born Johann Baptist Strauss; Oct. 25, 1825-June 3, 1899).

Susan Graham (born July 23, 1960) reprised her 2007-2008 season title role as Iphigénie for four of the 2010-2011 season's six performances. She sang Iphigénie in the first revival's opening (Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011) and fourth through sixth, closing performances (Saturday, Feb. 26; Wednesday, March 2; Saturday, March 5). The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Sept. 26, 1991, as the Second Lady in the opera house's 271st performance of Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Susan Graham shared the title role with American mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop, who sang Iphigénie in the revival's second (Wednesday, Feb. 16) and third (Monday, Feb. 21) performances. Elizabeth Bishop had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Feb. 7, 1994, as a Venetian in the opera house's 10th performance of Death in Venice by English composer Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (Nov. 22, 1913-Dec. 4, 1976).

Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo (born Jan. 21, 1941) and American operatic tenor Paul Groves (born Nov. 24, 1964) reprised their respective 2007-2008 roles as Oreste and Pylade, Oreste's best friend. Plácido Domingo had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Sep. 28, 1968, as Maurizio in the opera house's 16th performance of Adriana Lecouvreur by Italian composer Francesco Cilea (July 23, 1866-Nov. 20, 1950). Paul Groves had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Jan. 9, 1992, as the Steersman in the opera house's 127th performance of Der Fliegende Holländer by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Gordon Hawkins sang Thoas, King of the Scythians, in all six performances. The American dramatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Sept. 27, 1989, as Jake in the opera house's 33rd performance of Porgy and Bess by Jewish American composer and pianist George Gershwin (born Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz; Sept. 26, 1898-July 11, 1937).

Julie Boulianne (born Nov. 21, 1978) sang goddess Diane in all six performances. The French-Canadian mezzo-soprano's appearance in the first revival's opening performance marked her Met Opera debut.

Lei Xu (born 1963) appeared as the first revival's First Priestess. The Chinese operatic soprano's appearance in the first revival's first performance marked her Met Opera debut.

Cecelia Hall sang as the first revival's Second Priestess. The American mezzo-soprano's appearance in the first revival's opening performance marked her Met Opera debut.

David Won reprised his 2007-2008 season role as the Scythian Minister. The South Korean tenor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 14, 2005, as Grégorio in the opera house's 301st performance of Roméo et Juliette by 19th-century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Jacqueline Antaramian (born Oct. 7, 1962) reprised her 2007-2008 season role as Clythemnestre, Iphigénie's mother. The Armenian actress had marked her Met Opera debut with her appearance in the new production's opening performance, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007.

Rob Besserer appeared as Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and father of Iphigénie and Oreste. The American dancer and actor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, in the mute role of Ambrogio in the opera house's 551st performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

After the first revival's sixth, closing performance Saturday, March 5, 2011, Iphigénie en Tauride remained unperformed for 10 seasons (2011-2012 through 2020-2021). Met Opera activated the production's second revival in the 2021-2022 season.

The second revival offered five performances. The second revival opened Wednesday, Sep. 29, 2021. The second through fourth performances took place Saturday, Oct. 2; Wednesday, Oct. 6; and Saturday, Oct. 9. The second revival's fifth, closing performance happened Friday, Oct. 15.

The takeaways for Met Opera's revival of Stephen Wadsworth's new Iphigénie en Tauride in 2011 are that the 2010-2011 season's first revival offered six performances; that Susan Graham, Plácido Domingo and Paul Groves reprised their 2007-2008 season roles as Iphigénie, Oreste and Pylade, respectively; that 10 seasons elapsed between the 2010-2011 season's first revival and the 2021-2022 season's second revival of Stephen Wadsworth's new production; and that the second revival's five performances spanned opening Wednesday, Sep. 29, to closing Friday, Oct. 15.

American mezzo-soprano Cecelia Hall made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, as the Second Priestess in the opening performance of Met Opera's first revival of Stephen Wadsworth's new production of 18th-century German classical composer Christoph von Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride: Cecelia Hall @cecehallsings via Twitter June 17, 2020

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Susan Graham and Paul Groves reprised their roles as reunited sister and brother, Iphigénie and Oreste, in the 2010-2011 Met Opera season's first revival of the 2007-2008 season's new production of Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride under Stephen Wadsworth's directorship: Richard Tucker Music Foundation @RichardTuckerMusicFoundation, via Facebook June 17, 2020, @ https://www.facebook.com/RichardTuckerMusicFoundation/posts/3126619500694795

American mezzo-soprano Cecelia Hall made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, as the Second Priestess in the opening performance of Met Opera's first revival of Stephen Wadsworth's new production of 18th-century German classical composer Christoph von Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride: Cecelia Hall @cecehallsings via Twitter June 17, 2020, @ https://twitter.com/cecehallsings/status/1273232644885676032

For further information:

Cecelia Hall @cecehallsings. "My Met debut as a Priestess/sidekick of the great Susan Graham/dancer (?!!) airs tonight thru tomorrow! Was srsly such a delight to perform on that stage in my teacher Stephen Wadsworth’s production. http://metopera.org/week14streams Iphigénie en Tauride is tonight’s Met Opera Stream!" Twitter. June 17, 2020.
Available @ https://twitter.com/cecehallsings/status/1273232644885676032

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=216130

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Richard Tucker Music Foundation @RichardTuckerMusicFoundation. "Richard Tucker Grant Recipients Susan Graham and Paul Groves are featured in The Metropolitan Opera's stream of its 2011 production of Gluck’s "Iphigénie en Tauride" streamed tonight at metopera.org. Photo of Susan Graham by Dario Acosta." Facebook. June 17, 2020.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/RichardTuckerMusicFoundation/posts/3126619500694795

Tucker Foundation @RTuckerMusicFdn. "The @MetOpera's stream tonight of its 2011 production of "Iphigénie en Tauride" features Tucker Recipients @MezzoGraham and Paul Groves." Twitter. March 24, 2021.
Available @ https://twitter.com/RTuckerMusicFdn/status/1374782601588789259