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from public life, he applied himself to such studies as would mature the great design he entertained, cultivating the acquaintance of men of letters, and making himself familiar with the masterpieces of poetic art. A German comic opera, "Der Pilger nach Mekka," and some trifling festival pieces, some of which he appropriated in his subsequent works, were his only productions of this transition period, between his writing in the Italian style of the age, and his founding that remarkable new style of his own, which secured his temporary success and his permanent immortality. Gluck was fortunate in meeting with a poet, Calzabigi, who entered into his views as to the construction of a drama, and with him he wrote the opera of "Orfeo ed Euridice," which was produced at Vienna in 1764. The success of this initial work of a new era in dramatic music was beyond all expectation, and it was not confined to Vienna; for, the opera being reproduced at Parma under the composer's direction, to celebrate the marriage of the infanta, was received with such enthusiasm that a work composed by Traetta for the same occasion could not be given during the season, and it created the same impression in all the chief theatres of Italy. Gluck hastened from his Italian triumphs to write an opera for performance in the private court theatre at Vienna, at the emperor's marriage in 1765. In this work, which has not come down to us, the several members of the imperial family sustained the characters, and it was probably on the occasion of its production that the composer received the order of knighthood; but there is also reason to suppose this distinction was conferred on him at Paris, in acknowledgment of his successes at that capital. "Alceste," the next composition of Gluck upon his new model, was produced at Vienna in 1768; and it was published the year following with a dedicatory letter to the duke of Tuscany, in which the principles of its construction and the aim wherewith these were adopted are explained. Another opera, "Paride ed Elena," embodying the same purpose, was brought out in 1771; but this had not the good fortune of the former two, and, though printed at the time, it is now quite unknown. This also appeared with a dedication defending the peculiar views of the composer, and complaining of their misappreciation by critics who should have upheld them; in which, as in the former epistle, the confident relf-reliance of the composer's expressions strongly illustrates his personal character. Gluck now desired to take advantage of the resources of the French grand opera in his works; the productions of Lulli and Rameau, still popular upon that stage, had preserved the original purpose of the modern lyric drama with greater integrity than those of the Italian school; the accessories of the Parisian theatre afforded the utmost means of scenic illustration, and the composer believed that in this arena he might be able to achieve still greater results than he had yet accomplished while contending with the prejudice of his audience, and having the least assistance from stage effect. He communicated his desire to the Bailli du Rollet, a man of letters attached to the French embassy in Vienna, under whose encouragement he set to music an adaptation of Racine's "Iphigénie en Aulide," on which he was occupied for two years; and, on its completion at the end of 1773, he went with it to Paris. There, notwithstanding the introductions given him by the bailli, he met with such opposition from the French composers and their partisans, that he would have been unable to obtain a hearing for his work save for the patronage of the dauphiness, Marie Antoinette, who had been his pupil in Vienna, through whose influence he obtained the support of every member of the royal circle except the king himself and Mad. du Barry, which last personage employed all the powers of court intrigue against him. The opera was first given, April 19, 1774, in the presence of the composer's royal patrons, who set an example to the public with their applause, which was followed with unanimous enthusiasm. The immense success of this work induced the production, on the 2nd of August following, of "Orphée," a translation of Gluck's Italian opera, with the alteration of the chief character into a tenor part for Le Gros, instead of a contralto, as it was originally written for Guadagni, and some other modifications to appropriate it to the French theatre. Its reception more than confirmed the admiration excited by the former work; Paris was in rapture with the merits of the new composer; and even Rousseau, who had affirmed the impossibility of producing good effect by music set to the French language, openly recanted this theory, owning himself overcome by the unwonted powers of the master. A year later "Cythére assiegée," a work of less pretension, was produced with proportionably less success; and, on the 30th of August, 1776, a French version of "Alceste" once more brought the composer before the high critical ordeal, of which his own works had established the standard. This opera was at first but coolly received; its merits, however, were soon better understood, and its success finally equalled that of the first works Gluck had given in Paris. The death of his adopted niece, Marianna, a young singer of great promise, was at this time a great affliction to the composer; and he now paid a short visit to Vienna. The death of Louis XV. elevated his patroness to the throne, and this circumstance appears to have stimulated Mad. du Barry to seek for a talent which might be opposed to that of the client of her rival in the world of fashion; and she accordingly engaged Piccini at an annual salary to go to Paris, and, asserting the claims of Italian music against those of the German school, contest the supremacy Gluck had acquired. Marmontel prepared for the new comer a modification of Quinault's lyric drama of "Roland," which had been set to music by Lulli, and this work introduced Piccini to the Parisian public. Besides its merits, it had the support of Mad. du Barry's party to secure its success, and it created a powerful diversion from the exclusive homage Gluck had lately received. He was at the time engaged upon another adaptation of Quinault's poem; and, in his irritation at having his subject forestalled, he wrote an intemperate letter of complaint to Du Rollet, which was printed in a public journal, and which opened a warfare that exceeded in its violence even the contentions between the partisans of Handel and Bononcini in this country. Not only were the Paris journals filled with attacks and retorts upon the two composers and their styles; pamphlets and lampoons were assiduously circulated by each party. Society was engrossed by the discussion of the merits of the rivals, and it became the custom to inquire whether a stranger were a Gluckist or a Piccinist, before his acquaintance could be accepted. Suard and Arnaud headed the literary phalanx in favour of the German composer, while the Italian was defended by Marmontel, La Harpe, Ginguené, and D'Alembert. The remarkable dissension, with the party spirit it engendered, was maintained, however, with greater virulence by the respective admirers of the two musicians than by their heroes; for, by the intercession of Bertin, the manager of the theatre, Gluck and Piccini were brought together, and were afterwards, externally at least, friends. Gluck's next opera was "Armide," which was given, September 23, 1777, with only indifferent success; but it gained favour on repetition. Devismes, who succeeded to the management of the theatre, thought to take advantage of the general excitement by bringing the two composers into more immediate comparison than that in which they had yet stood with each other; he accordingly engaged them each to write an opera on the same subject, naturally expecting that the supporters of both would redouble their zeal to vindicate the relative merits of the rival works. The subject chosen was "Iphigénie en Tauride," which Piccini undertook with the condition that his setting of it should be the first produced, and he accordingly entered on the work, while his rival went to Vienna, carrying the libretto with him. The appearance of the first "Iphigénie" in 1778 was a temporary triumph for the Piccinists; but its glory was dimmed when Gluck's opera was brought out, May 18, 1779, which proved to be his greatest work, and which surpassed in its success everything he had already written. On the 21st of September following, Gluck was again in the field with "Echo et Narcisse," the last opera he completed, which produced but small impression. He went in 1780 once more to Vienna, whence he never returned; he took with him another libretto "Les Danaides," the composition of which he commenced; but, being unable through failing strength to continue it, he resigned it to Salieri. In 1784 Gluck had an apoplectic fit, from which he recovered; but a second attack, three years later, terminated his life. He was married, but had no children; he amassed a considerable fortune, leaving at his death a sum equal to £24,000; he passed his latter years amid the unqualified reverence of the artist world by which he was surrounded; and his death was lamented by the musicians of all countries. The five works, by which Gluck is now known, are "Orphée;" "Alceste;" "Iphigénie en Aulide;" "Armide;" and "Iphigénie en Tauride." These are characterized by their powerful truthfulness of dramatic expression; but while we admire the wonderful force of declamation that prevails throughout them, and the paramount consideration