# Happy 200th birthday, M. Offenbach!



## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

The brilliant Jacques (né Jakob) Offenbach, one of the Jewish German masters of French opera, was born in Cologne 200 years ago today. The Bacchic, Aristophanic Offenbach, best of all the Bachs. For wit, tunefulness, and music that makes you smile (or even laugh), his works are hard to beat.

Jupiter tries to seduce a mortal disguised as a fly, while Public Opinion pursues a merry widower. The soprano sings a delirious waltz while cannibals cook her alive. Impostors sing ensembles in Chinese or Italian gibberish, while the chorus get roaring drunk. And there's heart, too, in _La belle Hélène _or _La Périchole_.

Let's celebrate with a party of some of the most delightful, toe-tapping music ever written for the stage.

Ah ! ah ! ah ! ça commence !
Tout tourne, tout danse,
Et voilà déjà,
Que ma tête s'en va !






*Ba-ta-clan	(1855)*
The Ba-ta-Clan: 




*Orphée aux enfers (1858)*
Act I finale:	



Rondeau des métamorphoses: 



Duo de la mouche:	



Galop infernal:	




*M. Choufleuri restera chez lui le...	(1861)*
Pedro possède une guitare: 



Trio italien:	




*La belle Hélène	(1864)*
"Au Mont Ida trois déesses": 



Couplet des rois:	



Act 1 finale ("L'homme à la pomme"): 



Trio patriotique (with a parody of _Guillaume Tell_): 



Et tout d'abord, ô vile multitude: 




*La vie parisienne	(1866)*
Votre habit a craqué dans le dos: 




*La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein	(1867)*
À cheval sur la discipline:	



Ah! que j'aime les militaires: 



Act I finale (Elle a ses nerfs!):	



Trio bouffe: 




*Robinson Crusoé	(1867)
*Waltz song (Joan Sutherland):	




*La Périchole	(1868)
*
Couplets de l'incognito:	



Le conquerant dit à la jeune indienne:	



Letter song (Régine Crespin):	



Act I finale:	



Act II finale	(ma ris ré from 8'45"):	




*Les brigands	(1869)*
Act I finale (des bottes):	



Canon "Soyez pitoyables":	



Trio des Marmitons:	



Y'a des gens qui se disn't espagnols:	



"Ô mes amours, ô mes maitresses": 




*La fille du tambour-major	(1879)
*Ouverture:	




*Les contes d'Hoffmann	(1881)
*Des cendres de ton coeur:	




And what better way to celebrate than by watching an Offenbach opera?
(particularly with a bottle of champagne)

Les Brigands: 



Like an Astérix BD come to life!

La grande-duchesse de Gérolstein: 



Delightful production, opening with a Gilliamesque cartoon

Offenbach's Secret - this has Les deux aveugles (The two blind men) and Croquefer: 



Absolutely delirant. I hugged myself with mirth watching this.


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## Zhdanov (Feb 16, 2016)

Dr. Shatterhand said:


> *Robinson Crusoé	(1867)
> *Waltz song (Joan Sutherland):


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## marceliotstein (Feb 23, 2019)

Love Offenbach! Thanks for this.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I've always liked Offenbach's work - it would be nice though if new releases focussed on the lesser-known hidden gems rather than the evergreen usual suspects. Give me 'O. de Cologne' over G & S any day.


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