Biography Gluck is interesting for understanding historythe development of classical music. This composer was a major reformer of musical performances, his ideas were ahead of his time and influenced the work of many other composers of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Russian ones. Thanks to him, the opera acquired a more harmonious appearance and dramatic completion. In addition, he worked on ballets and small musical compositions - sonatas and overtures, which are also of considerable interest for contemporary performers who willingly include their excerpts in concert programs.
Youth years
The early biography of Gluck is poorly known, althoughmany scientists are actively exploring his childhood and adolescence. It is well known that he was born in 1714 in Palatinate in the family of a forester and received a home education. Also, almost all historians agree that he already in his childhood showed outstanding musical abilities and was able to play musical instruments. However, his father did not want him to become a musician, and sent him to the gymnasium.
However, the future famous composer wanted to linkhis life with music and therefore left home. In 1731 he settled in Prague, where he played the violin and cello under the baton of the famous Czech composer and theorist B. Chernogorsky.
Italian Period
Biography Gluck can be conditionally divided intoseveral stages, choosing as a criterion the place of his residence, work and active creative activity. In the second half of the 1730s he came to Milan. At this time, one of the leading Italian music writers was J. Sammartini. Under his influence, Gluck began to write his own compositions. According to critics, during this period of time he mastered the so-called homophonic style - the musical direction, which is characterized by the sound of one main theme, while the others play a supporting role. Biography Gluck can be considered extremely saturated, as he worked a lot and actively and brought a lot of new to classical music.
The mastery of homophonic style was very importantthe achievement of the composer, since in the European music school of the time under consideration polyphony prevailed. In this period he creates a number of operas ("Demetrius", "Por" and others), which, despite imitating, bring him fame. Until 1751, he toured with the Italian group until he was invited to move to Vienna.
Reform of the opera
Christoph Gluck, whose biography followsinextricably linked with the history of the development of opera, has done much to reform this musical performance. In the XVII-XVIII centuries the opera was a magnificent musical spectacle with beautiful music. Much attention was paid not so much to content as to form.
Often composers wrote exclusively fora specific voice, not caring about the plot and the semantic load. Gluck strongly opposed this approach. In his operas, music was subordinated to the drama and individual experiences of the characters. In his work "Orpheus and Eurydice" the composer skillfully combined elements of the ancient tragedy with choral numbers and ballet performances. This approach was innovative for its time, and therefore was not appreciated by its contemporaries.
The Vienna period
One of the greatest composers of the 18th centuryis Christoph Willibald Gluck. The biography of this musician is important for understanding the formation of the classical school that we know today. Until 1770, he worked in Vienna at the court of Marie-Antoinette. It was during this period that his creative principles took shape and received their final expression. Continuing to work in the traditional for the time genre of comic opera, he created a number of original operas, in which he subordinated music to poetic meaning. These include the work "Alceste", created by the tragedy of Euripides.
In this opera, an overture that othersThe composers had an independent, almost entertaining meaning, and acquired a greater meaning. Her melody was organically woven into the main plot and set the tone for the whole performance. This principle guided his followers and musicians of the 19th century.
Paris stage
The 1770s are considered the most intense inbiography Gluck. The summary of his story must necessarily include a brief description of his participation in the dispute that flared up in Parisian intellectual circles around what opera should be. The dispute was between supporters of the French and Italian schools.
The first defended the need to bring dramaand semantic harmony in the musical performance, while the latter focused on vocals and musical improvisations. Gluck defended the first point of view. Following his creative principles, he wrote a new opera based on the Euripides play “Iphigenia in Tavrida”. This work was recognized as the best in the works of the composer and strengthened his European fame.
Influence
In 1779, due to severe illness, he returned toVienna composer Christopher Gluck. The biography of this talented musician is impossible to imagine without mentioning his latest works. Even being seriously ill, he composed a number of ods and songs for piano. In 1787 he passed away. He had quite a few followers. The composer himself considered A. Salieri his best student. The traditions laid down by Gluck became the basis of the works of L. Beethoven and R. Wagner. In addition, many other composers imitated him not only in the composition of operas, but also symphonies. From Russian composers M. Glinka highly appreciated the work of Gluck.
