GluckGluck

By: Manuel Errea, By: Manuel Errea, Carlos Carrillo & Carlos Carrillo &

Chema RedinChema Redin

Index

• Introduction• Early years • Italy • Travels: 1745–1752 • Vienna • Paris • Last years • Works

– Operas– Ballets– Questions

Introduction

• Full Name: Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck

• Born: 2 July, 1714

• Died: 15 November, 1787

• Born in Erasbach, Bavaria, Germany.

Early years

• Gluck was born in Erasbach.

• His father, Alexander Johannes.

• He came from a long line of foresters.

• Gluck's mother, Maria Walburga

• During 1717 the family moved to Bohemia

• Gluck moved to Vienna• Later he studied in Prague

for a degree but he moved again to Vienna without finishing his studies

Italy

• In 1737 Gluck arrived in Milan

• His teacher was Giovanni Battista Sammartini

• His 1st Opera: Artaserse, was performed in 26 December 1741

• He wrote compostitions in Carnival seasons (Turin & Venice)

Travels: 1745–1752

• In 1745 Gluck accepted an invitation to become house composer at London's King's Theatre.

• The years 1747 and 1748 brought Gluck two highly prestigious engagements.

• In 1750 he abandoned Mingotti's group for another company established by a former member of the Mingotti troupe

• The year 1752 brought another major commission to Gluck, when he asked to set Metastasio's La clemenza di Tito

• for the nameday celebrations of King Charles III of Spain, held at Naples.

Vienna

• Gluck finally settled in Vienna where he became Kapellmeister (the person in charge of music-making)

• He wrote Le Cinesi for a festival in 1754

• Gluck was made a Knight of the Golden Spur by Pope Benedict XIV

• Gluck turned his back on Italian opera seria and began to write opera comiques

• After all he started reforming his operates

Paris

• Gluck now began to spread his ideas to France.

• Under the patronage of his former music pupil, Marie Antoinette, who had married the future French king Louis XVI in 1770.

• Gluck signed a contract for six stage works with the management of the Paris Opéra.

• On 2 August 1774 the French version of Orfeo ed Euridice was performed.

Last years

• In Vienna Gluck wrote a few more minor works but he generally lived in retirement

• On 15 November 1787, in Vienna, Gluck suffered another stroke and died a few days later

• Later, his cemenery was transformed into a public park and Gluck's remains were transferred to a tomb in the Vienna Zentralfriedhof

• Gluck's musical legacy was around 35 complete operas, together with numerous ballets and instrumental works.

Works: Operas & Ballets

• Artaserse:• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-

G74Ma4gHQ

• Orfeo ed Euridice:• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=xTZgMQ7TVes