Christoph Willibald Gluck, a towering figure in the history of classical music, was born on July 2, 1714, in Erasbach, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria. His life unfolded against the backdrop of the Baroque and Classical periods, and his contributions to opera would forever shape the course of musical history.
Gluck's early musical education began under the guidance of his uncle, who recognized his nephew's prodigious talent and arranged for him to study music in Prague. Later, he continued his studies in Italy, where he absorbed the operatic traditions of the time, particularly those of Alessandro Scarlatti and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.