author
Jacques Offenbach
1819–1880
A brilliant showman of 19th-century Paris, he helped turn operetta into one of the era’s liveliest and most popular forms of musical theater. Best known for sparkling stage works full of wit and melody, he also left behind the much-loved opera The Tales of Hoffmann.
1 Audiobook
New version of Les contes d'Hoffmann (The tales of Hoffman)
by Jacques Offenbach
About the author
Born in Cologne on June 20, 1819, he moved to Paris while still young and built a career as a cellist, composer, and theater director. Though German-born, he became closely identified with French musical life and rose to fame for works that mixed sharp humor, theatrical energy, and memorable tunes.
He is widely regarded as a founder of modern operetta. Over the course of his career he wrote nearly 100 stage works, including favorites such as Orpheus in the Underworld, La belle Hélène, and La Périchole. His music captured the sparkle of Parisian entertainment while also gently mocking fashion, politics, and society.
Later in life he turned to a more ambitious final project, The Tales of Hoffmann, which was left unfinished at his death in Paris on October 5, 1880. That opera, along with his comic masterpieces, helped secure his reputation as one of the most influential and entertaining composers of the 19th century.