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Image:JacquesOffenbach.jpeg|thumb|right|176px
Jacques Offenbach (June 20, 1819–October 4,
1880), composer and cello|cellist, was one of the
originators of the operetta form, a precursor of
the modern musical theater|musical comedy. He was
one of the most influential composers of popular
music in Europe in the 19th century, and many of
his works remain in the repertory.

==Biography==
Offenbach was of Germany|German birth and was
Jewish, born Jacob Eberst, the son of Isaac Juda
Eberst, a synagogue cantor, bookbinder, music
teacher and composer. His father was living in
Köln in 1807 when the Napoleonic edict required
that Jews had to take inheritable family names,
and he took the name of Offenbach since he was
already known there as "Der Offenbacher".  

Jacques moved to Paris in 1833 to study the cello.
He found employment playing cello in the orchestra
of the Opéra Comique, and wrote several pieces
for the instrument. In 1844, he married Herminie
de Alcain. In 1850 he became conductor of the
Theatre Français, but in 1855 rented his own
theatre, the Bouffes Parisiens on the Champs
Élysées, 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 in the can-can style. His best-known
operettas in the English-speaking world are
Orpheus in the Underworld, La Vie Parisienne, La
Belle Hélène, La Périchole, and The Grand
Duchess of Gerolstein.

Offenbach's final opera, Les contes
d'Hoffmann|Tales of Hoffmann, 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 in 1880, but
was completed by his best friend Ernest Guiraud
and premiered in 1881.

Offenbach is buried in the Cimetière de
Montmartre, Paris, France.

==Works==
Offenbach wrote more than ninety pieces for the
stage. 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 (Tales of Hoffmann).

==References and external links==
*http://www.naxos.com/composer/offenbac.htm
*http://www.lessontutor.com/bf_offenbach.html
*http://www.geocities.com/jrpsong/per.html La
Périchole plot summary
*http://www.jacques-offenbach.de (biography,
catalogue of works, discography)


==Musical sample==
*http://www.hevre.co.il/images/Forum_Attachments/1
5280777.mp3 Can-Can (Orpheus in the Underworld).
Performed on the accordion by R. Liraz