Two operas centered on the same character, Iphigenia, in Innsbruck—one staged by Ottavio Dantone and Accademia Bizantina, the other by Christophe Rousset and his ensemble Les Talens Lyriques. 
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From July 24 to August 31, the rich programme of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music offers two fully staged operas on a shared theme: Iphigénie en Aulide by Caldara and Iphigénie en Tauride by Traetta. The festival’s artistic director, Eva-Maria Sens, explains the carefully considered project.
Why did you choose these two operas, Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride?
Eva Maria Sens: In our programming, we always emphasize the close link between the Italian musical tradition and Innsbruck—both in terms of music history over the centuries and of the festival’s own history. The geographic and cultural proximity to Italy is, of course, self-evident. When we spoke with Ottavio Dantone about how he wanted to approach his role as the new music director and his vision for the next five years, it quickly became clear that he wanted to pursue a clear through-line, connecting Italian composers with the Austrian court across the centuries—especially under the Habsburgs. That’s the basis on which we’re building our opera productions.
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