John Eliot Gardiner conducts Gluck’s 1776 French version of “Alceste” at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Soprano Anne Sofie von Otter takes the title role of Alceste, Queen of Thessaly, who offers to die at the hands of the gods in place of her husband, Admète (Paul Groves), so that the people will not lose their king. Alceste is then saved from the underworld by Hercule (Dietrich Henschel).

Genres

Cast

Anne Sofie von Otter

Alceste

Dietrich Henschel

High Priest and Hercules

Yann Beuron

Evandre

Ludovic Tézier

A herald and Apollo

Lucie Barret

Alceste’s child