Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach (June 20, 1819 -October 5, 1880), composer and cellist, the creator of "La vie Parisienne" and an originator of the operetta form, a precursor of the modern musical comedy.
Biography
Offenbach was of German-Jewish origin, born Jakob Eberst, the son of a synagogue cantor. He moved to Paris in 1833 to study the cello. He found employment playing cello in the orchestra of the Opera Comique, and wrote several pieces for the instrument.
In 1844, he married Herminie de Alcain.
In 1850 he became conductor of the Theatre Francais, but in 1855 rented his own theatre, the Bouffes Parisiens on the Champs Elysees, and began a successful career devoted largely to operetta and opéras comiques until his death. His most popular works are still performed regularly today. He also wrote much dance music, especially the can-can style. His best known operettas in the English-speaking world are Orpheus in the Underworld, La Vie Parisien,La Belle Helene, La Perichole and The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein.
Offenbach's final opera, The Tales of Hoffman, was more serious than his other works, reflecting perhaps the eternal wish of the clown to be taken seriously. It was still unfinished at his death, and was completely by his best friend Ernest Guiraud, and premiered in 1881.
He is buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris, France.
Works
Offenbach wrote more then ninety pieces for the stage.
Some of his works include:
- Les deux Aveugles
- Le Nuit blanche
- Ba-ta-clan
- La Rose de Saint-Flour
- Le Savetier et le Financier
- Dragonette
- Le Vent du Soir ou L'horrible Festin
- Une Demoiselle en loterie
- Le Mariage aux lanternes
- Les deux Pêcheurs
- Orphée aux Enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld)
- Les Vivandières de la Grande Armée
- Geneviève de Brabant
- Daphnis et Chloé
- Le Chanson de Fortunio
- Le Pont des soupirs
- Le Roman comique
- Les Bavards
- Lischen et Fritzchen
- Le Brésilien
- Jeanne qui pleure et Jean qui rit
- L'amour chanteur
- Die Rheinnixen ,
- La belle Hélène (Fair Helen)
- Les Bergers
- Barbe-Bleue (Bluebeard)
- La Vie Parisienne
- La permission de dix heures
- La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein (The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein)
- Robinson Crusoe
- L'Ile de Tulipatan
- La Périchole
- La Diva
- La Princesse de Trébizonde
- Les Brigands
- Boule de Neige
- Le Roi Carotte
- Fantasio
- Fleurette
- Les Braçonniers
- Pomme d'Api
- Bagatelle
- Le Violoneux
- La Boulangère a des écus
- Madame l'Archiduc
- La Créole
- Le Voyage dans la lune
- Tarte à la Crème
- Pierrette et Jacquot
- La boîte au lait
- La Foire Saint-Laurent
- Madame Favart
- La Marocaine
- La fille du Tambour-Major
- Les Contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann).
References and External Links
- http://www.naxos.com/composer/offenbac.htm
- http://www.lessontutor.com/bf_offenbach.html
Referenced By
1819 | 1819 in music | 1859 | 1864 in music | 1866 in music | 1867 in music | 1880 | 1880 in music | 1881 in music | 1950 in music | 20 June | 20th June | 4 October | 4th October | Alexandre Cesare Leopold Bizet | Antal Dorati | Antal Doráti | Bizet | Can-can | Cimetiere de Montmartre | Cimetière de Montmartre | E.T.A. Hoffman | E.T.A. Hoffmann | E. T. A. Hoffman | E. T. A. Hoffmann | ETA Hoffman | Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann | Famous French People | Famous Operas | Famous operettas | From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli | George Bizet | George Leybourne | Georges Bizet | June 20 | June 20th | La belle Hélène | List of Famous Jews | List of French people | List of Jews | List of classical composers | List of classical music composers | List of famous French people | List of famous operas | List of music events by year | List of musical events | List of noted Jews | List of opera composers | List of operas | List of operettas | List of people by name: Oa-Ok | List of people on stamps of Gabon | Listing of noted Jews | Marine Hymn | Marines' hymn | October 4 | October 4th | Offenbach | Operetta | Orpheus in the Underworld | Orphée Aux Enfers | Phantom of the Opera | Richard D'Oyly Carte | Romantic Music | Romantic period in music | Tales of Hoffmann | The Phantom Of The Opera
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