Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach, born Jakob Eberst on June 20, 1819, in Cologne, Kingdom of Prussia, was a German-born French composer, cellist, and impresario. He is renowned for his significant contributions to the operetta genre, with nearly 100 operettas composed between the 1850s and 1870s. Offenbach's works, characterized by their melodic richness and satirical humor, had a profound influence on later composers such as Franz von Suppé, Johann Strauss II, and Arthur Sullivan. His most famous operettas, including "Orphée aux enfers" (Orpheus in the Underworld), "La belle Hélène," "La Vie parisienne," "La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein," and "La Périchole," gained international acclaim and continue to be performed today.
Offenbach was the son of Isaac Juda Offenbach, a synagogue cantor, and Marianne Rindskopf. He demonstrated early musical talent and moved to Paris at the age of 14, where he briefly studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He initially gained fame as a virtuoso cellist and conductor. Offenbach's ambition to compose for the Opéra-Comique led him to establish his own theatre, the Bouffes-Parisiens, where he premiered many of his successful operettas.
Despite facing challenges due to his German origins and associations with the Second French Empire, Offenbach remained a celebrated figure in Vienna, London, and New York. He was granted French citizenship and the Légion d'honneur by Napoleon III. Offenbach's final work, "The Tales of Hoffmann," remained incomplete at his death on October 5, 1880, but it has since become a staple of the opera repertoire, completed by other musicians. Offenbach's legacy endures through his enduringly popular compositions and his pivotal role in shaping the operetta genre.
