Iphigénie en Aulide

Iphigénie en Aulide is a tragic opera in three acts with a score by Gluck and a libretto based upon Racine by du Roullet. The orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music found the music strange at first, and they objected to it, but Marie-Antoinette crushed the revolt by reason of her interest in the composer. The work was quite long, and it did not prove popular at first, although its overture was applauded generously from the start. Its premiere in Paris took place on 19 April 1774, and it was…