大象传媒

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of the maestro of the Cancan and much more besides, Jacques Offenbach. Today, an insight into the character of this driven creative artist.

鈥淥ffenbach once wrote that he had 鈥渙ne terrible, unconquerable vice: I cannot stop working. I regret this鈥�, he went on, 鈥渇or the sake of those who do not like my music, for I shall certainly die with a melody on the tip of my pen.鈥� He had a point; at the peak of his career, he might have as many as three operettas on stage simultaneously in different theatres around Paris, let alone international productions. He even had his carriage kitted out with a writing desk, so that he could continue composing, scoring or revising as he travelled between venues. He can鈥檛 have been an easy man to live with, and whatever benefits his wife Herminie enjoyed from their 36-year partnership, marital constancy was not one of them; he had a string of mistresses throughout their marriage. A brilliant entrepreneur, he was also recklessly extravagant, making a fortune then blowing it on a series of spectacularly overdone productions. Despite his success, he longed to be taken seriously by the musical establishment 鈥� an insecurity that dogged him to the end.

Rodolphe Zimmer
Valse de Zimmer (Dernier Souvenir)
Simon Lepper, piano

Bol茅ro (from Grande sc猫ne espagnole, Op 22)
Camille Thomas, cello
Orchestre National de Lille
Alexandre Bloch, conductor

Lischen et Fritzchen (Act 1, Duo des alsaciens 鈥� 鈥楯e suis Alsacienne鈥�)
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano (Lischen)
Laurent Naouri, bass (Fritzchen)
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Marc Minkowski, conductor

Orph茅e aux enfers (1874 version) (Act 3, extract: No 20, Septuor du Tribunal, 鈥楳inos, Eaque et Rhadamante鈥�; Dialogue, 鈥楲a s茅ance est ouverte!鈥�; M茅lodrame, 鈥楢h! Mon bras!鈥� 鈥� No 21, Ronde des policemen, 鈥楴ez au vent, oeil au guet鈥� 鈥� No 21 R茅cit et couplets des baisers, 鈥楢llons, mes fins limiers, visitez et fouillez!鈥�)
Jean-Claude Bonnafous, tenor (Minos)
Roger Trentin, tenor (Eache)
Henry Amiel, baritone (Rhadamanta)
Jean Bussard, spoken role (The Bailiff)
Charles Burles, tenor (Pluto)
Andr茅 Valdeneige, barked role (Cerberus)
Michel Trempont, baritone (Jupiter)
Jane Berbi茅, mezzo soprano (Cupid)
Jacqueline Valli猫re, spoken role (A policeman)
Orchestre et Choeurs du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson conductor

Le papillon (Act 2 scene 2, Pas de deux)
London Symphony Orchestra (John Georgiadis, solo violin)
Richard Bonynge, conductor

Boule de neige (鈥楲'Hospodar nous invite a luncher avec lui, lunchons!鈥�)
Elizabeth Vidal, soprano (Olga)
Diana Montague, mezzo soprano (Schamyl)
Alexandra Sherman, mezzo soprano (Gre虂gorine)
Mark Wilde, tenor (Polkakoff)
Loi虉c Fe虂lix, tenor (Kassnoiseff)
Mark Stone, baritone (Balabrelock)
Andre虂 Cognet, baritone (Potapotinski/Grand Khan)
Alastair Miles, bass (Krapack)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
London Philharmonic Orchestra
David Parry, conductor

Produced by Chris Barstow for 大象传媒 Wales