Christoph Gluck was born on 2 July 1714 in Bavaria.  He died in 1787.  He is one of the earliest classical composers.  He was also the reformer of opera - from a singing art into the fully orchestrated, musical form that we now know. 

At about 14 years of age, Gluck left home to live in the Czech republic of Prague, study music and work as an organist.  He then moved to Vienna, where his compositions were first recognised and performed. 

One of his first operas was Don Juan (1761).  He worked with an Italian poet, Ranieri di Calzabigi, in the writing of Orpehus and Eurydice, Alceste, and Paris and Helen – stories based on Greek hero legends.  He wrote several other operas and ballets over the 18 years of his career.

Gluck made two very important changes to vocal music with music accompaniment and to ballet.  Before Gluck, most singing music (mostly operas and arias at the time) had very little accompaniment.  Operatic singing performances were more about displaying spectacular and ‘frilly’ voice effects.  Gluck insisted that operas should tell stories – the words and voices should create a picture of the story behind the opera.  He also insisted that music should be performed as the composer had written it – rather than with major changes by the performers. 

Gluck added a full orchestra to the opera, instead of a simple keyboard line.  This was the beginning of combining voice with instruments to work as a group – an ensemble that sounded good and belonged together.  To make quality performance, with such a depth of ensemble, Gluck was the first to insist that performances should take months of rehearsals instead of a couple of weeks’ preparation. 

Gluck is important to music, as we know it today – ballet, musicals, movie soundtracks and more.  Gluck’s combining of voice with instruments, in a meaningful way, even founds modern popular music.

Last modified: April 13, 2009