Talk:Christoph Willibald Gluck

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[edit] Importance

I would characterize Orfeo ed Euridice as Gluck's only well-known work. Given that, I question whether he should be portrayed as "one of the most important opera composers of the classical era", unless there's something about his operas that influenced later composers. Does anyone disagree? -- Ortonmc 06:32, 14 Sep 2003 (UTC)

I agree that Orfeo is the only Gluck opera that's performed anymore, but I think most people who know about opera would also know about Iphengenia, and would recognize at least the titles of Alceste and Armide. I think he's fairly characterized as influential, despite not having many well-known operas, as he was one of the forerunners of the movement to have the music have at least SOME dramatic function: i.e. he was a reformer of musical excess which detracted from narrative flow. -- Someone else 06:49, 14 Sep 2003 (UTC)

I certainly think he was influential, very influential, and very important. It's true that his operas aren't performed very often, but then very few operas from the Classical era (Classical with a captial C, 1750-1800) are performed at all - there's only really Mozart's stuff that gets out with any regularity (a shame for many reasons, but don't get me started on that). --Camembert

Is the "Willibald" an important part of his name? Wouldn't Christoph Gluck (with an umlaut) be a more common article title? RickK 06:35, 14 Sep 2003 (UTC)

I agree, except I don't think he gets an umlaut. And he needs a redirect from Gluck as well, since that's mostly the way he's referred to. I will do that. -- Someone else 06:49, 14 Sep 2003 (UTC)

Agreed; I've never heard "Willibald" cited before now. Poking around the web, I found several variations of his name, including "von Gluck" and "Gluck, Ritter von" (which sounds like some sort of knighthood). But none of them had an umlaut. -- Ortonmc 06:59, 14 Sep 2003 (UTC)

Yes, Ritter is a knighthood, so it wouldn't be part of his Wikipedia article title in any case. He probably started life as Gluck and got the 'von' when he became a Ritter, though I don't know who knighted him or when. These days, he's mostly just "Gluck" ;) -- Someone else 07:04, 14 Sep 2003 (UTC)

I've reinserted his Willibald. I don't think I've ever heard his name given without it - even Google agrees with me ("Christoph Gluck" = 639 hits; "Christoph Willibald Gluck" = 25,800 hits!). --Camembert

Well, no matter, he now has more than enough redirects to be found no matter WHAT! <G> -- Someone else 00:27, 15 Sep 2003 (UTC)

[edit] Infobox

Christoph Willibald Gluck
Gluck, detail of a portrait by Joseph Duplessis, dated 1775 (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna)
Background information
Birth name	Christoph Willibald Gluck
Born	July 2, 1714
Origin	Bavaria, Germany
Died	November 15, 1787 Vienna, Austria
Occupation(s)	Composer pianist

In view of the strong consensus against using popular music infoboxes for major composers I am moving the Gluck infobox here (complete with flags, 'occupation' pianist etc.) for comments. I am leaving the picture in place. Thank you. --Kleinzach 01:01, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

LOL. That's a particularly bad one! Let's get rid of it permanently. --Folantin 08:15, 23 April 2007 (UTC)