Christoph Willibald von Gluck, a German, was already famous for his reforms of Italian opera, which had replaced the old opera seria with a much more dramatic and direct style of music theatre, beginning with Orfeo ed Euridice in 1762.
Christoph Willibald Gluck, en tysker, der allerede var berømt for sine reformer af italiensk opera, der havde erstattet den gamle opera seria med en langt mere dramatisk og direkte form for musikteater, havde skrevet Orfeo ed Euridice i 1762.