GLUCK.

Christoph Willibald Gluck, one of the most eminent of German operatic composers, was born at Weidenwang in the Upper Palatinate, July 2, 1714.  He began his musical studies in a Bohemian Jesuits’ School at the age of twelve.  In his eighteenth year he went to Prague, where he continued his education with Czernhorsky.  Four years later he was fortunate enough to secure Prince Melzi for a patron, who sent him to Milan, where he completed his studies with Sammartini.  From 1741 to 1745 he produced numerous operas, which were well received, and in the latter year visited London, where he brought out several works, among them “La Caduta de’ Giganti.”  His English experience was far from satisfactory, and he soon returned to Germany, stopping at Paris on the way, where Rameau’s operas had a strong influence upon him.  From 1746 to 1762 he wrote a large number of operas, with varying success so far as performance was concerned, but with great and lasting benefit to his style and fame, as was shown when his “Orpheus” was first produced, Oct. 5, 1762.  Its success determined him at once to acquaint the musical world with his purpose to reform the opera by making it dramatically musical instead of purely lyric, thus paving the way for the great innovator of Baireuth.  “Alceste,” produced in 1767, was the first embodiment of these ideas.  Strong criticism greeted it, to which he replied with “Iphigenie en Aulide,” written in 1772, and performed for the first time in Paris two years later, under the auspices of Marie Antoinette, who had once been his pupil.  It was followed by “Orpheus and Eurydice,” adapted from his earlier work of the same name, which met with brilliant success.  In 1777 he brought out “Armide.”  It aroused an unprecedented excitement.  Piccini was at that time in Paris.  He was the representative of the old Italian school.  His partisans gathered about him, and a furious war was waged between the Gluckists and Piccinists for three or four years; the combatants displaying a bitterness of criticism and invective even worse than that which Wagner brought down upon his devoted head.  When Gluck brought out his great work, “Iphigenie en Tauride,” in 1779, however, the Piccinists quitted the field and acknowledged the reformer’s superiority.  “Echo et Narcisse” was written in the same year, but “Iphigenie en Tauride” was his last great work.  He retired shortly afterwards to Vienna, where he died Nov. 15, 1787.

ORPHEUS.

“Orpheus,” the libretto by the Italian poet Calzabigi, was first produced at Vienna, Oct. 5, 1762, and for the first time outlined the new ideas which Gluck had advanced for the reform of the lyric stage.  Twelve years later the composer revised the work.  Several new numbers were added, its acts were extended to three, and the principal role was rewritten for a high tenor in place of the alto,