A Study Of Gluck's Reform Operas

This dissertation centers on the six reform operas by Christoph Willibald von Gluck, an important opera composer in the 18th century:Orfeo ed Euidice, Alceste, Paride ed Elena, Iphigenie en Aulide, Armid and Iphigenie auf Tauris. With the examination of both the music of the operas and the relevant historical/cultural context, the dissertation mainly discusses the evolution of the aesthetic ideas of drama in the 18th century, and explores the musical procedures and theatrical significance of the six reform operas created under the influence of those ideas, which makes it clear that Gluck's reform can be viewed as a milestone in the history of opera.The dissertation is made up of four chapters, dealing with the historical context in which Gluck's reform took place as well as the technical means and theatrical significance of the operas.The first chapter is a brief introduction of the composer's biographical life and his general composition of operas, including opera seria, opera-comique, ballet and reform opera.The second chapter is mainly concerned with the germ of the opera reform. The author examines the theatrical ideas held by the Italian humanists and Encyclopedists, about the relationship between music and texts, the relationship between music and emotion, and setting of drama. The new trend that appeared in creation and performance is also discussed, that is, the tendency towards the real, the natural, the simple and the more dramatic.The third chapter focuses on the music of Gluck's first five reform operas, mainly in terms of different musical forms. The author analyzes the technical innovation in the overtures, arias, recitatives, choruses and ballets of these operas and discusses the expressive ability of these forms to characterize roles, express emotions and create proper atmosphere.The final chapter is a detailed case study of Iphigenie auf Tauris, Gluck's best and most mature opera, with the intention to show how Gluck, as both a composer and a dramatist, musically portrayed characters, built dramatic tension and promoted the development of the plot.