Iphigénie en Tauride was not necessarily a newly rediscovered work by 1973, following Maria Callas's reintroduction of it to the opera-going public in the 1950s. What makes this performance especially interesting is its shift toward a more faithful approach to the score under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner. Gardiner eschews romantic conventions and returns the work squarely to its classical roots without shortchanging Gluck's gifts as a composer for the stage.

Sena Jurinac, in the title role, brings monumental stature and sublime vocalism, even if her ample soprano does not entirely convey the youth of the doomed princess. Robert Massard brings nobility and high drama to the role of Oreste.