Jacques Offenbach's real name was Jakob Wiener. He was born in Cologne, Germany in 1819, and died in Paris in 1880.
Offenbach completed more than ninety works for the stage. His first success was Orpheus in the Underworld (1858).
Gradually, he became known to the public as a composer of light and humorous operettas.
His most popular compositions appeared in the 1860's, notably La Belle Helene (1864), La Vie Parisienne (1866),
La Grande-duchesse de Gerolstein (1867) and La Perichole (1868). Offenbach's last work was The Tales of Hoffmann.
