Christoph Willibald Gluck studied under Giovanni Battista Sammartini after arriving in Milan in 1737. According to Giuseppe Carpani, Sammartini taught Gluck practical knowledge of all orchestral instruments, and this mentorship lasted for several years. During this period Gluck refined his compositional technique while exposed to the vibrant musical life of Milan, where Sammartini was already an esteemed maestro di cappella and influential symphonic innovator.
Gluck’s apprenticeship with Sammartini, which continued until 1741, shaped his early operatic style; his first opera, Artaserse, premiered in Milan in December 1741 and still showed noticeable influence from his teacher. Sammartini’s guidance helped Gluck master the emerging homophonic style prominent in Italian opera, laying the foundation for Gluck’s later reformist achievements.
