The Festa teatrale "Le feste d'Apollo" is the last commissioned composition that Gluck wrote for the House of Habsburg for a festive occasion. As part of lavish celebrations for the wedding of Archduchess Maria Amalia to Duke Ferdinand of Bourbon-Parma, the festive opera consisting of an allegorical prologue and three thematically independent acts ("Atto di Bauci e Filemone", "Atto d'Aristeo" and "Atto d'Orfeo") was premiered on August 24, 1769 in Parma with the "Prologo" and the "Atto d'Orfeo". In accordance with its formal structure, the individual parts of the work were repeatedly performed separately on a total of 13 evenings until the end of the wedding celebrations. This made "Le feste d'Apollo" part of an important political and artistic event that attracted a great deal of attention throughout Europe.

For Gluck, the arrangement of his "Orfeo ed Euridice" which constituted the third act of the festival opera was the prelude to a far-reaching reception of his Azione teatrale, which had premiered in Vienna almost seven years earlier, with numerous productions in Italy and other European opera centers. The great interest was due in no small part to the title role being arranged for soprano, which made the Orfeo part accessible to the famous soprano castrati of the time.

The sources for the four parts of "Le feste d'Apollo" are different in each case and quite extensive, especially for the "Atto d'Orfeo". As is typical for the transmission of most of Gluck's compositions, neither a complete autograph score nor the musical material prepared for the premiere in Parma has survived. Only two autograph score fragments for the choruses "Del figlio d'Apollo" and "Eccheggiar s'odano" from the "Atto d'Aristeo" have come down to us separately. Also, only one contemporary copy of the score has survived, which contains the entire Festa teatrale, as well as other copies of scores of individual or several acts from the period.

In addition to the detailed Foreword to the volume, which provides information on the historical context, the artistic conditions in Parma, the genesis and premiere, the text, plot and music of the edited festive opera, the volume contains exemplary excerpts from the sources as well as further illustrative material; the Critical Commentary provides information on the source situation and evaluation, editing technique and performance practice. Gluck's Festa teatrale "Le feste d'Apollo" is published in print for the first time in this volume.

Detailed instrumentation:Flute (2), Oboe (2), Bassoon (2), Horn (2), Trumpet (2), Timpani, Strings, Harp, Harpsichord