Gluck, Christoph Willibald.

to Franz Kruthoffer, at the Imperial Austrian Embassy in Paris, expressing his hope that work on [the German version of] his Iphigénie in Tauride, which is to be performed as soon as possible, will revive his spirits, observing that it seems to be the intention for all of his operas to be performed in this way until everyone is sick of them, thereby allowing the rival Italian school of opera to gain a footing in Paris; Gluck reports his ill health and notes that his librettist Bailli de Roullet has similar problems (to judge from his letters), adding that his wife is most unhappy that Kruthoffer has failed to send her candles



1 page, 4to (c.22.5 x 18.5cms), integral autograph address leaf ("A Monsieur...de Krütthoffer chez S: Ex: Ms L'Ambassadeur Impl: et Köngl: à Paris"), posthorn watermark (Heawood 2740), annotated by the recipient ("beant[wortet] Paris am 30ten Mai 1781"), traces of seal, Vienna 1 May 1781, slight creasing and splitting at leading edge, touching a few letters, otherwise fine

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a highly personal letter in which the aged, ailing composer vents his spleen at the present state of opera and the treament of his own works.

"...Ich kann ihnen noch keine Nachricht von meiner wieder hergestellten gesuntheit geben, ich Muß schon geduld haben bieß die gutte wütterung wierd ankommen, als dan hoffe ich mich in meinen garten wiederumb zu Erhollen, und weilen ich seit langer Zeit in stäter inaction gelebt habe, so wird wohl auch die Iphigenie in Tauris, welche Ehestens soll vorgestellet werden, mich wiederumb in bewegung setzen, und mir das geblüte rege machen...So will man denn alle meine Opern bies zum Eckel vorstellen, auf das sie auf die letzt der gantzen Welt müssen unerträglich vorkommen? dieses ist noch das Eintzige und böste mittl die Italiänische Music in Paris zu établiren; gratulieren wir also denen Herren frantz Männern darzu, ich dancke gott, das ich von ihnen Einmahl Erleset bin..." 

Gluck was the most important and most international of German opera composers before Mozart, credited with bringing about the reform of eighteenth-century serious opera. His Iphigénie in Tauride (1779) is one of his most important operas, and perhaps the most successful of his works for Paris. At the time of this letter, he was engaged in revising the opera for its first performance at Vienna, delayed until 23 October 1781. 

Franz Kruthoffer (1740-c.1815) was private secretary to the Imperial Austrian Ambassador in Paris, and helped Gluck with his business affairs in the city. This was the last of Gluck's letters to Kruthoffer to be written in his own hand, A few weeks later, the composer suffered a major stroke which left him unable to hold a pen, as Mozart reported to his father on 27 June.