Christoph Gluck (1714 - 1787)

Christoph Gluck (1714 - 1787) - photo 1

Christoph Gluck

Christoph Willibald Gluck was a German classical composer and reformer of the opera genre.

Christoph showed a talent for music early on, playing violin and cello, leaving home and studying music with various teachers in Prague, Vienna and Milan. In 1741, Gluck had his first significant success with his first opera, Artasers, at the Milan theater. In 1745 Gluck, by then already well known as an opera composer, was invited to England, but in 1750 he settled in Vienna, where he lived for the rest of his life. While in Paris in 1773-79, he won the favor of Louis XVI's wife Marie Antoinette.

Christoph Gluck played a historic role in the formation of a new operatic style, becoming the main reformer in the transition from baroque to classical opera.

During his career, Christoph Gluck composed about 40 operas. Of these, his first "reformist" opera was Orpheus and Eurydice, staged in Vienna in 1762. Next were "Alceste" (1767), "Parida et Helena" (1770), "Iphigenia in Aulida" (1774), a French version of "Orpheus" (1774), and "Iphigenia in Tauris" (1779). He also wrote five ballets, of which Don Giovanni (1761) was one of the first successful action ballets.

Gluck spent the last eight years of his life in Vienna, continuing to work tirelessly. During these years he met several times with Wolfgang Mozart, who by then had already become a bright star.

Date and place of birt:2 july 1714, Berching, Germany
Date and place of death:15 november 1787, Vienna, Austria
Period of activity: XVIII century
Specialization:Composer
Art style:Baroque, Classicism

Creators Baroque

Hendrick Martensz Sorgh (1610 - 1670)
Hendrick Martensz Sorgh
1610 - 1670
James Thornhill (1675 - 1734)
James Thornhill
1675 - 1734
Gottfried Wals (1595 - 1638)
Gottfried Wals
1595 - 1638
Louis-Isidore Choiselat (1784 - 1853)
Louis-Isidore Choiselat
1784 - 1853
Louis Gauffier (1762 - 1801)
Louis Gauffier
1762 - 1801
Giovanni Maria Bottalla (il Raffaellino) (1613 - 1644)
Giovanni Maria Bottalla (il Raffaellino)
1613 - 1644
Alfredo Tominz (1854 - 1936)
Alfredo Tominz
1854 - 1936
Francisco Pacheco (1564 - 1644)
Francisco Pacheco
1564 - 1644
Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret (1782 - 1863)
Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret
1782 - 1863
Gortzius Geldorp (1553 - 1618)
Gortzius Geldorp
1553 - 1618
Eugène Laurent (1832 - 1898)
Eugène Laurent
1832 - 1898
Giovanni Battista Discepoli (1590 - 1660)
Giovanni Battista Discepoli
1590 - 1660
Girolamo Troppa (1636 - 1711)
Girolamo Troppa
1636 - 1711
Annibale Carracci (1560 - 1609)
Annibale Carracci
1560 - 1609
Vincent Laurensz van der Vinne (1628 - 1702)
Vincent Laurensz van der Vinne
1628 - 1702
Joachim von Sandrart (1606 - 1688)
Joachim von Sandrart
1606 - 1688
× Create a Search Subscription