THE GREAT ONES
Christoph Willibald Gluck
V.K. SUBRAMANIAN
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Gluck's (1714 A.D. - 1787 A.D) best works came out between 1762 and 1779.
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ILLUSTRATION: V.K. SUBRAMANIAN
Gluck, the German composer, was one of the most important pioneers in the evolution of the opera. He reformed opera by restoring to it one of its basic principles: the subordination of the music to the drama.
Gluck became dissatisfied with the pomp and mannerisms of the older operas in the Italian tradition and set out of reform them, putting text and music into a more coherent meaningful whole. As a result, operas became more realistic and effective.
Gluck's finest and most famous operas were: orfeo ed Euridice (Orpheus and Eurydice), Alceste and Iphigenie en Tauride.
Gluck was born on July 2, 1714 in Erasbach, Bavaria.
Unique style
He taught music at Prague, then studied at Vienna and Milan. From 1741, Gluck started writing operas, but his best works came out between 1762 and 1779.
Paris was divided between those who supported Gluck's French opera style and those who supported the Italian style of Niccolo Piccinni.
But Gluck's style finally conquered Paris. They powerfully influenced Mozart.
Gluck died in Vienna on November 15, 1787.
Paul Bekker paid this tribute to Gluck:
"He thrust the doors open and allowed the daylight of human naturalness to fall upon the opera world of the time."
Gluck defended his reform movement thus: "No obstacles will deter me from making new attempts to achieve my purpose.
I would rather have one Plato on my side than all the populace."
This is an extract from the book The Great Ones by V.K.Subramanian, Abhinav Publications, New Delhi
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