Opera
Synopsis
King Admète lies dying, and the oracle reveals that he can be saved only if another dies in his place. His devoted wife Alceste offers herself to the gods of the underworld. When Admète learns of her sacrifice, he resolves to follow her into death rather than live without her, and their mutual devotion ultimately moves the gods to restore them both. Gluck's austere and deeply moving opera is a cornerstone of his operatic reforms, stripping away ornament to reveal raw human emotion.