Christoph Willibald Gluck
German composer, 1714-1787
Gluck was one of the most eminent composers of the early classical period. His musical legacy includes approximately 35 complete full-length operas plus around a dozen shorter operas and operatic introductions, as well as numerous ballets and instrumental works. His reforms influenced Mozart, particularly his opera Idomeneo (1781). Gluck left behind a flourishing school of disciples in Paris, who would dominate the French stage throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period. Though Gluck wrote no operas in German, his example influenced the German school of opera, particularly Weber and Wagner, whose concept of music drama was not so far removed from Gluck's own.
Source: Wikipedia
Komponist (1714-1787). Autograph letter signed ("Gluck"). Wien. 29.11.1776. 1 S. auf gefalt. Doppelblatt. 4to.
$ 39,221 / 35.000 €
(934214/BN934214)
To his friend Franz Kruthoffer (1740-1815?), secretary at the Imperial Embassy in Paris and Gluck's de facto private secretary: a fine document of Gluck's shrewd business sense as well as of the high demand among librettists for music by the foremost composer of his age. For Kruthoffer's sake, Gluck promises to accomodate his publisher Peters with regard to royalties, but he makes it clear that in turn he will be asking extra voucher copies and will not let this one-off concession establish a precedent for future negotiations.
Also, Gluck complains of the unsolicited opera librettos with which he is swamped by poets, and he forbids Kruthoffer to accept such submissions for him: "Wertester Freyndt / Ihren brief von 17 october habe rechtens Erhalten, in dem letzten Ersehe das begehren des Mr. [Johann Anton de] Peters, welches, weilen Er Ihr gutter freyndt ist, ich vor dieses mahl annehmen wiel, aber Etliche partitionen werde mir vor behalten, wie auch, das auß diesen wenigen, was Er geben wiel, keine consequentz vor zukünfftige opern gemacht wer den soll; der Courrier wiel abgehen, ich kan ihnen nichts mehr schreiben als Unser Compliments tres sinceres de la part de ma femme et de moi a vous, et a Mr. [Franz] de Blumendorff. Ich bitte ihnen auch kein pacquet an mich an zu nehmen Wo man mir wiel poesie schicken umb opern zu machen, dan ich werde grausamb desentwegen bombardirt [...]". - Folded horizontally, without an address: as mentioned in the text, the thrifty Gluck sent this letter - as most of his communications with Kruthoffer - by way of the diplomatic courier service just leaving Vienna for Paris. Kruthoffer has noted his response in the upper margin: "Beant. Paris am 18ten Dezember 1776". - Extremely rare, especially when signed (as Gluck, using the diplomatic mail, usually omitted his signature from his letters to Kruthoffer). Kinsky's 1927 edition of Gluck's correspondence with Kruthoffer noted the loss of a letter of this date; it was not published until 1932. - Provenance: in the "autograph collection of Mrs E[milie] Sch[aup] in Vienna" (cf. Komorn, p. 674) in 1932; in an unidentified "private collection" (cf. Badura-Skoda) in 1963. Includes old collection folder..
German composer (1714-1787). Letter signed ("Votre trés humble et tres obeisant serviteur, Chevalier Gluck", with autograph date). Vienna. 4to (225 x 176 mm). 2 pp. on a bifolium. In French. Annotated on verso of fol. 2, "Glouk".
$ 10,646 / 9.500 €
(99264/BN65530)
To the librettist Valadier, declining to set his opera "Cora" to music. Gluck expresses his mortification at being unable to comply ("I am absolutely incapable of undertaking any work at all which requires application") and is unwilling to oversee any other composer in the work because of the difficulties of such an enterprise, and because the person he might have turned to is already overburdened: "Tres flatté de vôtre obligeante lettre, monsieur, je suis egalement mortifie, que mon etat, et ma situation ne me permettent pas de repondre à vôtre empressement, et de me prêter a vos desirs.
Je suis absolument incapable d'entreprende tel ouvrage que ce soit, qui exige de l'aplication; et pour ce qui est d'en charger quelqu' autre sous ma direction, c'est toujours une entreprise fort incertaine, epineuse, et sujette à mille inconveniens; D'autant plus que celuy, que je pourrois avoir en vue est fort chargé d'autres - ouvrages, et ne pourroit pas meme - acepter cette commission [...]". - Nevertheless, Gluck praises Valadier's libretto: "Your work is rich in tableaux and in theatrical effects, and as regards a few small alterations which might be suitable, we would need to be near one another in order to discuss them ... Given that Cora is your first dramatic work I assure you that you have made a most happy beginning; and by continuing to exercise your talents in this career, as I advise you to do, you may hope for the most decided success". Gluck concludes with thanks to Valadier for thinking of him, and good wishes in finding "some composer who may second by his good music the beauty of your opera" (transl.). - Gluck had virtually retired from composition after his return to Vienna in 1779, and systematically refused all libretti that were offered to him. Valadier's libretto for "Cora", based on Marmontel's novel" Les Incas", had won a prize at the Académie royale in 1783: it was eventually set to music by Méhul, and premiered on 15 February 1791, though without success..