Review - Iphigenia Travels From Aulis to Tauris (and Back Again) on Brussels Stage - NYTimes.com BRUSSELS - Gluck never intended for his two Iphigenia operas to be performed in tandem, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. In fact, the wisdom of joining them is playing out at La Monnaie in Brussels this month, where on some days one can see "Iphigénie en Aulide" in the afternoon and "Iphigénie en Tauride" in the evening, while other performances are paired on consecutive nights. The central character in each opera is Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and the subject of each opera is human sacrifice. But rather than belabor plot similarities or inconsistencies, it is worth viewing this as an opportunity to see two late masterpieces of a great composer, like back-to-back performances of Verdi's "Otello" and "Falstaff." Gluck is saddled with the reputation of being a "reform" composer, which sounds more admirable than exciting. True enough, "Orfeo ed Euridice" did away with the perceived abuses of Italian operas, like turning them into showcases for vocal fireworks by vainglorious singers. But Gluck's highest artistic achievements came when he turned to Paris, where he revitalized French lyric tragedy through an infusion of Italian-style music and by virtue of his own sharpened theatrical acumen. "Iphigénie en Aulide" ("Iphigenia in Aulis"), from 1774, and "Iphigénie en Tauride ("Iphigenia in Tauris"), from 1779, are among the best of Gluck's Parisian operas. As "sacrifice" operas, "Aulide" and "Tauride" reflect a vogue that also embraced Goethe's play "Iphigenie auf Tauris" and Mozart's opera "Idomeneo." In "Aulide," Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter to appease the goddess Diana and thereby obtain favorable winds to speed the Greek fleet to Troy. By the time of "Tauride" the Trojan War had come and gone, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra both lie slain, and Iphigenia finds herself in Tauris, where she is compelled by the paranoid king Thoas to perform human sacrifices. Although "Aulide" ends with divine action calling off the sacrifice and blessing Iphigenia's marriage to Achilles, in a variant of the myth a deer replaces her as sacrificial victim and she is whisked to Tauris. One of Iphigenia's intended victims turns out to be her brother Orestes, whom she recognizes just as she is about to deliver the fatal blow. Although both operas end happily - after deus ex machina appearances by Diana - the sacrifices make for growing and almost unbearable anguish, which touches each character in his or her own way. This is underscored by the power of Gluck's highly charged recitatives, tersely expressive arias and stirring choruses. Whatever its faults, Pierre Audi's staging at La Monnaie has the ultimate strength of identifying and bringing to the fore the plight of the characters. He is aided here by an unusually small performing area that forces the singers into close proximity with one another, albeit as part of a less than satisfactory stage arrangement. The singers perform primarily atop the covered orchestra pit, with the orchestra stationed farther back on the stage in what turns out to be an acoustically disadvantageous position - some of the more rousing numbers, like the storm at the start of "Tauride," lack the desired volume. The chorus is back farther still, accommodated in seats that make them look like part of the audience. They can be heard well enough but are prevented from participating much in the drama. Nor can a lot be said for Michael Simon's sets, which consist primarily of metallic staircases that lead down from stage boxes to the performing aria, clashing in the process with La Monnaie's neo-Baroque décor. "Aulide" also has a couple of huge wads of clear plastic, a dubious addition that is not present in "Tauride." Anna Eiermann's costumes emphasize the militaristic through fatigues and officers" uniforms. Mr. Audi's direction errs on the side of overstylization, and mysterious figures sometimes confusingly stalk the stage. But he ensures that the singers are all deeply involved in the drama. In "Aulide," Véronique Gens is an outstanding Iphigenia, who after initial sobs accepts the will of her father and of the gods with stoic grace. Though his tenor voice can sound tight, Avi Klemberg, as Achilles, ardently defends his beloved Iphigenia. Charlotte Hellekant, though occasionally a bit strident in the upper register, establishes Clytemnestra as another powerful ally of Iphigenia. Andrew Schroeder, in gripping form, projects Agamemnon's stern exterior but also the torment that, concealed from the others, wracks the "king of kings." In "Tauride," Nadja Michael's big, if tremulous, voice sometimes strays from pitch but makes for an exciting account of Iphigenia's dramatic aria "Je t'implore et je tremble." As Orestes and his beloved friend Pylades, Stéphane Degout and Topi Lehtipuu give sterling performances, the latter making a high point of the exquisite aria "Unis dès la plus tendre enfance." Christophe Rousset conducts with thorough stylistic authority, though he sanctions several cuts, which seem unnecessary given the conciseness of these operas; the dances of "Aulide" are the main casualty. Scholars have generally ranked "Tauride" somewhat above "Aulide," perhaps because the characters" dreams, and Orestes" guilt pangs over the slaying of Clytemnestra, seem to prefigure Freud. But La Monnaie shows the two operas to occupy roughly the same artistic plane, and a very high one it is. "Iphigénie en Aulide," and "Iphigénie en Tauride." Directed by Pierre Audi. Conducted by Christophe Rousset. La Monnaie, Brussels.