Jacques Offenbach

BORN: June 20, 1819, Cologne, Germany

DIED: October 5, 1880, Paris, France

BIOGRAPHY

Jacob Offenbach was born in Germany, the seventh of ten children. His father Isaac played the violin in cafés and served as a cantor in synagogues. When Jacob was six, his father taught him to play the violin; within two years he was composing his own songs and dances. By age nine, he had taken up the cello and joined his brother Julius (violin) and sister Isabella (piano) to perform at local dance halls, inns, and cafés.

In 1833, young Julius and Jacob went to Paris to study at the famous Paris Conservatory. They adopted French names and became Jules (Julius) and Jacques (Jacob). Jules was a diligent student and later was the conductor of his brother’s orchestra.

Jacques is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas, such as Orpheus in the Underworld and The Tales of Hoffmann. He also composed a variety of other music including orchestral pieces and chamber music.

FUN FACTS

• He was always a prankster and once conspired with another cellist that in a concert they would each play half the notes.

• The French government gave him their greatest award, the “Legion of Honor,” for writing Orpheus in the Underworld.

• He was famous for his generosity and hospitality.