Jacques Offenbach
A prolific composer with a light comic touch, Jacques Offenbach produced scores of operettas, a lasting musical legacy. Born in Cologne, a cantor’s son, Offenbach mastered the cello at an early age, confounding his instructor. Performances in Parisian salons led, eventually, to renown, French citizenship, and a successful streak of operettas, begetting him more fame in the mid-1860s. Maturity conferred a more serious perspective, and his impish style yielded to a more sober, sensitive approach. By the time of his death, Offenbach was a national hero, worthy of the state funeral he was given.
Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator
Primary Source
The Brazilian’s Song from the Opera La vie parisienne
Primary Source
Primary Source
Related Guide
Music and Opera in Jewish Culture, 1750–1880
One of the most striking changes in European Jewish culture toward the later eighteenth century was marked by the entry of Jews into art music, opera houses, and the stage.