GLUCK, Christoph Willibald 1714-1787

Orphée et Euridice. Tragedie. Opera en trois Actes. Dediee A La Reine ... Representée pour la premier fois par l'Academie Royale de Musique, le Mardi, 2. Aoust, 1774. Les Parolles sont de Mr. Moline. Gravée par Madame Lobry. Prix 24 tt. [Full score]

Paris: Chez Mr. Lemarchand ... A.P.D.R., 1774.

Folio. Unbound. Sewn. 1f. (recto title, verso publisher's catalogue), 1f. (recto dedication, verso "Argument"), 52 pp. Engraved.

Incomplete, with only first act and three pages of second act present.

Worn overall, with occasional staining, foxing, and soiling throughout, primarily to blank margins; title worn and heavily browned, stained, and soiled, with paper loss to edges; corners slightly bumped and creased; signatures separated; binder's holes to blank inner margin.

First Edition, unrecorded variant. Wotquenne 41. Hopkinson p. 43, 41A. BUC, p. 386. Lesure, p. 240. RISM G2582.

First performed in Vienna at the Burgtheater on 5 October 1762, in Italian, to a libretto by Ranieri de’ Calzabigi, and in Paris at the Opéra on 2 August 1774, in French, to a libretto by Pierre Louis Moline after Calzabigi.

"The classical orientation of Calzabigi, evident in Orfeo ed Euridice from the moment the curtain rose on the almost archaeologically recreated ancient funerary ritual (e.g. the threefold calling of the name of the deceased), coloured the entirety of his collaboration with Gluck. Despite the ambiguous attributions of the prefaces signed by the composer, it is clear that Gluck largely shared his librettist's classical enthusiasms ... It is revealing that Gluck sought out subject matter from Greek tragedy, independently of Calzabigi, after the latter's departure from Vienna – most probably with his inner conviction mixing with a desire to exploit the goût grec then prevailing in France ... Calzabigi's poetry was almost completely devoid of metaphors and similes, and placed a mere three characters in a fluid context of dances and choruses (or both simultaneously). The action was reduced to essentials: a demonstration of the persuasive powers of music, and a cautionary tale on the dangers of curiosity, with Orpheus bewailing the loss of his wife already as the curtain rose. Gluck's approach as composer was no less radical, particularly in his near-complete elimination of coloratura and of opening ritornellos in the solo numbers. Above all, the opera was remarkable in its emphasis on continuity, which was achieved chiefly through the enchaining of harmonically open-ended sections of music and through the complete avoidance of recitativo semplice in favour of orchestrally accompanied recitatives (so as to avoid sharp contrasts of texture with the set pieces). This continuity and the nearly syllabic vocal writing were calculated to prevent applause, and thus also to promote the audience's absorption in the spectacle." Bruce Alan Brown and Julian Rushton in Grove Music Online.

Item #40430

Price: $150.00  other currencies