Alceste is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck from 1767. The libretto (in Italian) was written by Ranieri de' Calzabigi and based on the play Alcestis by Euripides. The premiere took place in Vienna.
The second of Gluck's so-called "reform operas" (after Orfeo ed Euridice), it was first performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 26 December 1767. A heavily revised version with a French libretto by Leblanc du Roullet premiered in Paris on 23 April 1776. The opera is usually given in the revised version, although this is sometimes translated into Italian. Both versions are in three acts.
Maria Callas starred as Alceste in an acclaimed production at La Scala in 1954. It was her first collaboration in a stage performance with director Luchino Visconti. A recording of the performance survives which shows the level of accomplishment achieved with the production.
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