the only man in Europe who could express
real feelings in music. Marie Antoinette wrote to her sister: "We had,
on the nineteenth, the first performance of Gluck's 'Iphigenie,' and
it was a glorious triumph. I was quite enchanted, and nothing else is
talked of. All the world wishes to see the piece, and Gluck seems well
satisfied."

The next year, 1775, Gluck brought out an adaptation suitable for
the French stage, of his "Alceste," which again aroused the greatest
enthusiasm. The theater was crammed at every performance. Marie
Antoinette's favorite composer was again praised to the skies, and was
declared to be the greatest composer living.

But Gluck had one powerful opponent at the French Court, who was none
other than the famous Madame du Barry, the favorite of Louis XV. Since
the Queen had her pet musical composer, Mme. du Barry wished to have
hers. An Italian by birth, she could gather about her a powerful
Italian faction, who were bent upon opposition to the Austrian Gluck.
She had listened to his praises long enough, and the tremendous
success of "Alceste" had been the last straw and brought things to a
climax. Du Barry would have some one to represent Italian music, and
applied to the Italian ambassador to desire Piccini to come to Paris.

On the arrival of Piccini, Madame du Barry began activities, aided by
Louis XV himself. She gathered a powerful Italian party about her,
and their first act was to induce the Grand Opera management to make
Piccini an offer for a new opera, although they had already made the
same offer to Gluck. This breach of good faith led to a furious war,
in which all Paris joined; it was fierce and bitter while it lasted.
Even politics were forgotten for the time being. Part of the press
took up one side and part the other. Many pamphlets, poems and satires
appeared, in which both composers were unmercifully attacked. Gluck
was at the time in Germany, and Piccini had come to Paris principally
to secure the tempting fee offered him. The leaders of the feud kept
things well stirred up, so that a stranger could not enter a cafe,
hotel or theater without first answering the question whether he stood
for Gluck or Piccini. Many foolish lies were told of Gluck in his
absence. It was declared by the Piccinists that he went away on
purpose, to escape the war; that he could no longer write melodies
because he was a dried up old man and had nothing new to give France.
These lies and false storie