Gluck

[Chaszz]

I have been listening to 'Alceste' by Gluck, my first experience with this composer of the late 18th C. It is really excellent. Very serious and elevated, unflagging inspiration. I think even a certain person who shall remain nameless and likes only two composers might like it. I wonder if has tried and discarded Gluck along with his other rejections?

Is anyone else a Gluck fan out there?

[Peter]

I can't think who you mean! As to Gluck, both Mozart and Beethoven rated him highly - I wouldn't describe him though as a late 18th century composer as his dates were 1714-1787. Of his 45 operas only one is really part of the repertory Orpheus and Eurydice.

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

I haven't heard enough of his music to make up my mind although what I've heard I have liked. Our radio station has played some of his music but not all that often. I did read that while in London he made friends with Handel and revered him to the point of having a portrait of Handel hanging on his bedroom wall.

Joy

[spaceray]

I love Gluck and sing two of his Italian songs and one in French.I love Purcell and Arne and Campion too.I could go on and on...

[Andrea]

I had a CD of Christoph Willibald Gluck's "Lieder aus Oper"(songs from his operas). It included songs from "Alceste", "Elenae Paride",and "Orfeo ed Euridice". Other than the music on this CD I haven't really heard much else from Gluck.

He was a well respected opera composer in his day and he spent much of his time between Paris and Vienna. He was the vocal teacher to the then Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette. It's ashame that we don't hear much from his music, like Salieri, who Gluck knew well here in Vienna.

In death Gluck is in good company for his grave is near Beethoven's in our Zentralfreidhof (Central Cemetery) here in Vienna.

[Rutradelusasa]

I also like alceste very much. I bought it only because it was there and it was cheap, but when I heard it I liked it a lot. It´s the only thing from Gluck I have...

I bought it from naxos, a swedish production with period instruments... quite a nice thing. I much liked that choir part: Ah! De questo afflito regno. I keeps on and on for the 1st act and seems to have had reflects on Wagner...

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:
I also like alceste very much. I bought it only because it was there and it was cheap, but when I heard it I liked it a lot. It´s the only thing from Gluck I have...

I bought it from naxos, a swedish production with period instruments... quite a nice thing. I much liked that choir part: Ah! De questo afflito regno. I keeps on and on for the 1st act and seems to have had reflects on Wagner...

That's interesting, because I'm a Wagner fan. I didn't notice the resemblance, but perhaps my subconcsious did...