HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Christoph Willibald Gluck

Detail of painting by Joseph Duplessis 1775

Born in Erasbach (now part of Berching, Bavaria) on 2 July 1714, Christoph Willibald Gluck was, like Johann Stamitz, of especial significance as a bridge from baroque to the classical period. He wrote instrumentals, songs and eight ballets, but his significance as a composer was in his reformation of the opera, completing 49 of them. His later major operatic rival in Paris would be Niccolò Piccinni of Naples whose star flashed bright, but not for so long as Gluck's.

Gluck had a forester for a father and learned several instruments as a child. In 1731 he enrolled into the University of Prague, but he had no degree when he went to Milan in 1737 to study under Giovanni Sammartini. Commencing the Wq catalogue at Wq.1 is Gluck's first opera, 'Artaserse', premiering on 26 December 1741 at the Teatro Regio Ducal [Italian] with a libretto by Metastasio. Wq numbers are from 'Catalogue Thématique des Œuvres de Chr. W. V. Gluck' by Alfred Wotquenne published in 1904. Wotquenne built directories for several composers including Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

In 1745 Gluck became house composer at London's prestigious King's Theatre. In 1747 he traveled to Dresden where he produced 'Le nozze d'Ercole e d'Ebe' ('The Marriage of Hercules and Hebe') Wq.12 [IMSLP], partnering with the Pietro Mingotti troupe. He left for Vienna with Mingotti the next year, then left Mingotti for the troupe of Giovanni Locatelli in Prague in 1750, also composing 'Ezio' Wq.15 that year [catalog].

Gluck visited Naples in 1752 before returning to Vienna in 1754. He there premiered his opera, 'Le Cinesi' ('The Chinese Women') at the Schloss Hof on 25 September 1754, that with libretto by Metastasio [IMSLP / score]. Wikipedia begins its list of ballets by Gluck with 'Les Amours de Flore et Zéphire' performed in Schönbrunn in 1759. In 1761 Gluck premiered his Italian ballet, 'Don Juan' Wq.52, with libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi and choreography by Gasparo Angiolini. 'Don Juan' concerns the killing of his inamorata's father in a duel and subsequent descent into Hell.

'Le Cinesi' ('The Chinese Women') Wq 18 Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 24 Sep 1754 at the Schlosshof in Vienna

Libretto: Pietro Metastasio

Orchestra of Schola Cantorum Basiliensis / René Jacobs

'Don Juan' Wq 52 31 movements Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 17 Oct 1761 at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna

Libretto: Ranieri de' Calzabigi Choreography: Gasparo Angiolini

Scored for 2 flutes / 2 oboes / 2 horns / trombone / strings / continuo

Orchestra of Schola Cantorum Basiliensis / René Jacobs

'Orfeo ed Euridice' [IMSLP] Wq.30 with Italian libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi premiered in Vienna in October 1762, this perhaps Gluck's most greatly hailed work [1913 cylinder recording by contralto, Marie Delna, on Edison Blue Amberol 28135]. Come 'Alceste' [IMSLP] Wq.37 in Italian in 1767 followed by a French version, Wq.44, in 1776. 'Alceste' was taken from 'Alcestis' by Euripides performed in Athens in 438 BC. In between, 'Paride ed Elena' arrived to Vienna in 1770 concerning the courtship of the Spartan, Paris, with Helen of Troy.

'Orfeo ed Euridice' Wq 30 Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 5 Oct 1762 at the Burgtheater in Vienna for Empress Maria Theresa

Libretto: Ranieri de' Calzabigi Revised in 1774 per Wq 41

Baroque Theater of Cesky Krumlov Castle in Czech Republic 2013

Direction music: Andreas Neubroner Direction stage: Ondrej Havelka

Choreography: Andrea Miltnerova Collegium Vocale 1704 Conductor: Vaclav Luks

Orfeo: Bejun Mahta Euridice: Eva Liebau Amore: Regula Muhlemann

'Orfeo ed Euridice' Wq 30 Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 5 Oct 1762 at the Burgtheater in Vienna for Empress Maria Theresa

Libretto: Ranieri de' Calzabigi Revised in 1774 per Wq 41

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro La Fenice in Milan / Alfonso Caiani 2023

Choreography: Marco Berriel

Orfeo: Cecilia Molinari Euridice: Mary Bevan Amore: Silvia Frigato

'Alceste' Italian version Wq 37 Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 26 Dec 1767 at the Burgtheater in Vienna

Libretto: Ranieri de' Calzabigi

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro La Fenice in Milan

Direction music: Guillaume Tourniaire Direction stage: Pier Luigi Pizzi

Alceste: Carmela Remigio

Overture to 'Paride ed Elena' ('Paris and Helen') Wq 39 Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 3 Nov 1770 at the Burgtheater in Vienna

Libretto: Ranieri de' Calzabigi

ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester / Lothar Zagrosek / 2016

'Alceste' French version Wq 44 Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 23 April 1776 at the Salle du Palais-Royal (2nd) in Paris

Libretto: François-Louis Gand Le Bland Du Roullet

Memorial Church in Cambridge 20 Oct 2018 Program

Harvard University Choir / Edward Elwyn Jones

Alceste: Hailey Fuqua

Gluck found patronage in Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI, in the early seventies. Come 'Iphigénie en Aulide' [IMSLP] Wq.40 on 19 April 1774 at the Paris Opera. On 2 August of 1774 Gluck presented another version of 'Orfeo ed Euridice' Wq.41 at the second Salle du Palais-Royal. The first which was built in 1741 had been destroyed by fire in 1763, as would be the second, permanently, in 1781. It was another engagement at the Paris Opera on 18 May 1779 for 'Iphigénie en Tauride' Wq. 46 with libretto by Nicolas-François Guillar. Gluck's last completed dramatic work was his opera, 'Echo et Narcisse' Wq.47, performed on 28 May of 1779 at the Salle du Palais-Royal with libretto by Louis-Théodore de Tschudi. This work concerns the love affair between the mountain nymph (Oread), Echo, and the hunter, Narcissus.

'Echo et Narcisse' Wq 47 Christoph Willibald Gluck

Premiere 28 May 1779 at the Salle du Palais-Royal (2nd) in Paris

Libretto: Louis-Théodore de Tschudi

Directed for television by Claus Viller 1987

Concerto Koln Orchestra conducted by Rene Jacobs

Echo: Sophie Boulin Narcisse: Kurt Streit

Gluck's operas are of authentic authorship, which is more than can be said of all his songs or instrumental works. Wikipedia casts doubt on Gluck's authorship of numerous compositions which are otherwise accepted as his. One famous example is the 'Flute concerto' in G major which is listed as "doubtful" at Wikipedia though it is nowhere else mentioned as such that I could find [IMSLP / score]. Another instance is 'Six Trio Sonatas' Wq.53 which Wikipedia has "mis-attributed to Gluck" upon citing the Gluck-Gesamtausgabe (Gluck Complete Edition). These are otherwise accepted to be published by Gluck in 1746 [IMSLP / score]. Not all symphonies ascribed to Gluck are his either. One which may, indeed, be written by him is 'Symphony in G major'. The Gluck-Gesamtausgabe lists four of these of which only one is included in the Wotquenne catalog (Wq.2D.9). Though the others are deest (not included in Wotquenne) of which at least one has been recorded, it is presumed that references to 'Symphony in G major' without further distinction [such as IMSLP] mean the one included in Wotquenne and is perhaps No.20 at Wikipedia. I conclude this article with 'Symphony in G major' because it isn't known when it was composed or first performed. It is a work more galant than baroque, but as Gluck was more hep than conservative during his time it may have arrived early in his career while he was yet a young man.