Born in Erasbach, nr Berching, Upper Palatinate, July 2, 1714
Died in Vienna, Nov 15, 1787
- Gluck was a major figure in early classical opera, composing works in Italian and French and helping forge a more natural expression in the genre after the dominance of Baroque opera seria.
- Fun fact: Gluck ran away from home when he was 13 or 14 because he wanted to be a musician but his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a forester. Gluck later claimed that he ran away to Prague and made a living by singing and playing a jaw harp.1
Sources
- Jeremy Hayes et al, “Gluck, Christoph Willibald Ritter von,” Grove Music Online (2002), accessed October 10, 2019, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-5000007318.