Jacques Offenbach

Jacques Offenbach was a prolific composer best known for creating the opérette, a style of light, satirical comic opera. Born in Germany, he spent much of his career in Paris, where he directed his own theatre, the Bouffes-Parisiens, and composed celebrated works such as Orphée aux enfers. Offenbach is credited with writing in a fluent, elegant style and with a highly developed sense of both characterization and satire (particularly in his treatment of mythological subjects. He wrote more than 100 stage works, many of which were maintained in the repertory of the 21st century.