Traetta: “Ifigenia in Tauride”

With Ifigenia in Tauride, released by Aparté in March 2026, Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques continue their exploration of eighteenth-century Italian opera, turning here to a pivotal work by Tommaso Traetta. First performed in Vienna in 1763 to a libretto by Marco Coltellini after Euripide, the score reflects the profound transformations of opera seria on the eve of Gluck’s reforms: a stronger sense of dramatic continuity, an expanded role for the chorus, and a more integrated orchestral writing. The programme thus restores a tightly constructed tragedy, driven by Iphigenia’s predicament between priestly duty and familial recognition.

Drawn from the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, where the work was revived in a staged production in August 2025, this recording offers a complete account of the opera. Around Christophe Rousset, the Novocanto choir and a compact cast sustain the drama with constant attention to the text. Rocío Pérez brings sustained commitment to the title role, combining urgency with a keen sense of line in a demanding score; the countertenor Rafał Tomkiewicz shapes an Oreste defined by expressive presence rather than display; Suzanne Jerosme, finally, proves a reliable and well-integrated Pilade within the ensembles.

The interest of this recording also lies in the way Christophe Rousset brings out the continuity of the score, carefully shaping transitions and giving full weight to the choral interventions. His direction clarifies the work’s structure while preserving its contrasts and dramatic momentum. The recording, clear and well balanced, highlights both the vocal lines and the instrumental colours. A release that invites us to rediscover Traetta not as an abstract historical figure, but as a composer of the first rank—and, above all, a compelling man of the theatre.