The tale of Greek mythology's
Iphigenia
(in French
Iphigénie
), condemned to become a human sacrifice but ending up, in some versions, as a high priestess of Diana, was well known to audiences long before
Gluck
's pair of operas about her. The one here was eventually forgotten but was known to several generations in 18th century France. One factor in its disappearance was its dual authorship; the original composer,
Henry Desmarest
, was forced out of France after marrying a well-off young woman without her family's consent, and the work was left unfinished. It was picked up by
André Campra
and finally staged in 1704. That might seem unpromising, but
Campra
stuck to
Desmarest
's style, adding the big dances with lots of foot-tapping-inducing continuo and choruses that were his specialty. The end result consists of brief recitatives, airs, and dances that are a bit abrupt to modern hearers; sometimes, one feels that a video would be appropriate. However, conductor
Hervé Niquet
, a specialist in just this repertory, keeps the pace brisk, and he is aided by an all-star cast (at least within the context of French Baroque opera).
Véronique Gens
, in the title role, takes a while to appear, but when she does, she adds a surge of energy as usual. Listeners interested in French Baroque opera will find much of interest here. ~ James Manheim