Jacques Offenbach

Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ''The Tales of Hoffmann''. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss Jr. and Arthur Sullivan. His best-known works were continually revived during the 20th century, and many of his operettas continue to be staged in the 21st. ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' remains part of the standard opera repertory.

Born in Cologne, Kingdom of Prussia, the son of a synagogue cantor, Offenbach showed early musical talent. At the age of 14, he was accepted as a student at the Paris Conservatoire but found academic study unfulfilling and left after a year. From 1835 to 1855 he earned his living as a cellist, achieving international fame, and as a conductor. His ambition, however, was to compose comic pieces for the musical theatre. Finding the management of Paris' Opéra-Comique company uninterested in staging his works, in 1855 he leased a small theatre in the Champs-Élysées. There he presented a series of his own small-scale pieces, many of which became popular.

In 1858, Offenbach produced his first full-length operetta, ''Orphée aux enfers'' ("Orpheus in the Underworld"), which was exceptionally well received and has remained one of his most played works. During the 1860s, he produced at least 18 full-length operettas, as well as more one-act pieces. His works from this period included ''La belle Hélène'' (1864), (1866), ''La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein'' (1867) and ''La Périchole'' (1868). The risqué humour (often about sexual intrigue) and mostly gentle satiric barbs in these pieces, together with Offenbach's facility for melody, made them internationally known, and translated versions were successful in Vienna, London and elsewhere in Europe.

Offenbach became associated with the Second French Empire of Napoleon III; the emperor and his court were genially satirised in many of Offenbach's operettas. Napoleon III personally granted him French citizenship and the . With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Offenbach found himself out of favour in Paris because of his imperial connections and his German birth. He remained successful in Vienna and London, however. He re-established himself in Paris during the 1870s, with revivals of some of his earlier favourites and a series of new works, and undertook a popular US tour. In his last years he strove to finish ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', but died before the premiere of the opera, which has entered the standard repertory in versions completed or edited by other musicians. Provided by Wikipedia
Showing 1 - 20 results of 40 for search 'Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880.', query time: 0.06s Refine Results
1
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1951

Audio
2
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1967

Audio
3
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1972

Audio
4
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1970

Audio
5
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1966

Audio
6
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1976

Audio
7
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1970

Audio
8
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 2005
Other Authors: ...Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880...

Unknown
9
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1989

Audio
11
12
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1929

Musical Score Book
14
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1907

Musical Score Book
15
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1880

Musical Score Book
18
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1958

Book
20
by Offenbach, Jacques, 1819-1880
Published 1956

Book