Composer of the Week: Offenbach

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Composer of the Week

Music: Classical

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

An informative and accessible guide to composers' lives and their music.

Composer of the Week: Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880): Identity Crisis (1864-1875)

Identity Crisis (1864-1875)

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)

BBC Radio 3 - Composer of the Week, Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880), Identity Crisis (1864-1875)

Offenbach faced issues of identity during a time of political strife in Europe.

Offenbach faced identity challenges throughout his life: not just the matter of his nationality, before and during the Franco-Prussian War, but also his identity as a composer.

Jacques Offenbach’s life throws a light on the political turbulence and identity within 19th century Europe. He struggled to break into the musical establishment of Paris, but he didn’t struggle with creating a dazzling array of work for the theatre. His 98 stage works established and defined what operetta was, paving the way for modern musical theatre. 

Today, Donald Macleod looks at Offenbach’s identity challenges throughout his life: not just the matter of his nationality, before and during the Franco-Prussian War, but also his identity as a composer.

La Vie parisienne: Overture				
Lille National Orchestra
Darrell Ang, conductor

La belle Helene:		
Act II: Entracte
Act II Scene 1: O reine, en ce jour il faut faire (Chorus, Helen, Bacchis)
Act II Scene 2: On me nomme Helene la blonde (Helen)
Felicity Lott, soprano (Helene)
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Marc Minkowski, conductor

Barbe-bleue:
Act I: Couplets de Boulotte: Y a p't-etr' des berger's dans l'village
Overture
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano (Boulotte)
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Marc Minkowski, conductor

La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein: 		
Act III Tableau 2: Au repas comme a la bataille (Chorus, All)
Act III Tableau 2: Legende du Verre: Il etait un de mes aieux (Duchesse, Paul, Boum, Nepomuc, Puck, Grog, Chorus)
Act III Tableau 2: Retour de Fritz: Voici revenir mon pauvre homme! (Wanda, Chorus)
Act III Tableau 2: Complainte de Fritz: Eh bien mon Altesse me voila! (Fritz, Duchesse, Puck, Boum, Chorus)
Act III Tableau 2: Vous n'avez pas d'autre explication a me donner? (Duchesse, Fritz, Boum, Puck, Paul, Grog)
Act III Tableau 2: Final: Enfin, jai repris le panache! (Boum, Puck, Paul, Grog, Wanda, Fritz, Duchesse, Chorus)
Felicity Lott, soprano (Duchesse)
Sandrine Piau, soprano (Wanda)
Yann Beuron, tenor (Fritz)
Franck Leguérinel, baritone (Le Baron Puck)
Eric Huchet, tenor (Le Prince Paul)
François Le Roux, baritone (Le Général Boum)
Les Musiciens du Louvre Chorus
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Marc Minkowski, conductor

La Haine, Act IV: Marche religieuse
Leipzig Symphony Orchestra
Nicolas Krüger, conductor


Produced by Iain Chamber for BBC Audio Wales & West

Composer of the Week: Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Donald Macleod looks at some of Offenbach's many works for the stage.

Donald Macleod looks at some of Offenbach's many works for the stage, which defined operetta and paved the way for modern musical theatre.

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