Gluck is currently receiving royal treatment in Vienna, with the State Opera's Alceste running concurrently alongside the Theater an der Wien's Iphigénie en Aulide.

Torsten Fischer and his team utilize the plot to thematise the subject of war - a word which appears projected in huge script in a variety of languages to introduce the piece. A cleverly designed revolving set (Vasilis Triantafillopoulos and Herbert Schäfer) creates a sense of space and variety through its mix of grey mirrored surfaces, passageways, and semi-transparent screens shielding a vast complex of pipes, tubes, and storage tanks - apparently a refinery that might serve to produce an essential resource such as oil, or even to purify water - and as such, a symbol for potential strife.

Enormous projections (David Haneke) of the leading protagonists' reactions to live events on stage alternate with constant images of male and female warriors and their modern-day weapons. Alas, the overuse of what is potentially an interesting tool of expression tends to stifle rather than promote effect and reaction.

The central set is in almost constant motion - often forcing a flow of movement by the actors which becomes monotonous and indeed at times, distracting. And surely the Bad Guy in sunglasses and wheelchair, and an ensemble blinding the audience with flashlights are long passé.

The characters have all been meticulously set, and are well cast despite shortcomings here and there.

With customary conviction and musicality, Bo Skovhus made a credible Agamemnon, though vocally lightweight except in the upper reaches of his range.

As Calchas (the Bad Guy in the wheelchair) Pavel Kudinov was most impressive - his well-schooled sonorous bass dominating in his scenes, ringing out freely with indisputable authority.

Paul Groves made much of the fiendishly-difficult challenge facing any tenor brave enough to tackle Achille. Gluck is certainly no more benevolent to his tenors than Richard Strauss was. Cunning vocal dexterity carried the American singer through some high-lying passages with more than a little aplomb, with top marks for his valiant efforts at tastefully scaling-down the tone where required.

Myrto Papatanasiu was an engaging Iphigénie, vocally not as secure as one would ideally wish for, but compensating largely through expression and conviction.

Michelle Breedt's Clytemnestre was a nicely-rounded portrayal, which blossomed as the plot unfolded to culminate in her impressive final scene.

The remaining cast was solid, without exception.

Alessandro de Marchi conducted an accurate - if not particularly gripping - reading of the score, with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (not surprisingly) sounding rather plump in this genre compared with their Freiburger Barockorchester colleagues currently guesting at the State Opera.