Immerse yourself in the timeless beauty of Christoph Willibald Gluck's "Alceste, Wq. 44," a masterful opera that showcases the composer's innovative approach to the genre. This live recording, released on October 28, 2014, by Opus Arte, captures the essence of Gluck's reformist style, blending dramatic intensity with melodic elegance. The opera, sung in French, is presented in its entirety, featuring a powerful overture and a series of emotionally charged arias and choruses that highlight the tragic story of Alceste, a queen who sacrifices herself to save her husband.
Conducted with precision and passion, this performance brings together a stellar cast and orchestra, delivering a rendition that is both authentic and deeply moving. The album spans over two hours and twenty-six minutes, offering a comprehensive journey through Gluck's musical narrative. From the hauntingly beautiful "Divinités du Styx" to the triumphant "Reçois, Dieu bienfaisant," each track is a testament to Gluck's genius and his enduring influence on the world of opera.
Whether you are a seasoned opera enthusiast or a newcomer to classical music, "Alceste, Wq. 44" is a must-listen. This recording not only celebrates Gluck's contributions to the art form but also provides a captivating experience that transcends time. Dive into the rich tapestry of sound and emotion, and discover why Christoph Willibald Gluck remains a towering figure in the history of classical music.
2014 Opus Arte2014 Opus Arte
Tracks
Alceste, Wq. 44: Overture (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Dieux! Rendez-nous roi, notre père (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Philip Gelling, Maldwyn Davies, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Ô malheureux Admète! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Grands Dieux! Du destin qui m'accable (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Moderato (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Dieu puissant, écarté du trône (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, John Shirley-Quirk, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Adagio (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Immortel Apollon! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Apollon est sensible à vos gémissements (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, John Shirley-Quirk, Matthew Best, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Oú suis-je? (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Tes destins sont remplis (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, John Shirley-Quirk, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act I: Divinités du Styx (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Que les plus doux transports (1) [Live]Christoph Willibald Gluck, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Ballet. Légèrement (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Ballet. Andante (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Ballet. Allegro (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Ballet. Lent (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Que les plus doux transports (2) [Live]Christoph Willibald Gluck, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Ô mon roi! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maldwyn Davies, Robert Tear, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Alceste! - Cher époux! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Robert Tear, Janet Baker, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Parez vos fronts de fleurs nouvelles (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Ô Dieux! Soutenez mon courage (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Bannis la erainte et les alarmes (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Robert Tear, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Je n'ai jamais chéri la vie (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Grands Dieux! Pour mon époux (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act II: Ah! Malgré moi, mon faible chœur partage (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Nous ne pouvons trop répandre de larmes (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Philip Gelling, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Aprés de longs travaux (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Jonathan Summers, Philip Gelling, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Au pouvoir de la mort je saurai la ravir (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Jonathan Summers, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Grands Dieux, soutenez mon courage! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera Chorus, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Ah! Divinités implacables! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Ciel Adméte! Ô moment terrible! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Alceste, au nom des Dieux! (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Robert Tear, Janet Baker, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Caron t'appelle, entends sa voix (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, John Shirley-Quirk, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Alceste! Le jour fuit (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Ami, leur rage est vaine (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Jonathan Summers, Robert Tear, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Poursuis, ô digne fils (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Philip Gelling, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Reçois, Dieu bienfaisant (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Jonathan Summers, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Ô mes amis Alceste m'est rendue (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Robert Tear, Janet Baker, Royal Opera Chorus, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: March in D Major (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Andante in A Major (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras
Alceste, Wq. 44, Act III: Chaconne in D Major (Live)Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maurits Sillem, Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, Sir Charles Mackerras