Geneviève de Brabant
Music by Jacques Offenbach · libretto by Adolphe Jaime · premiered 1859 · at Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens
Geneviève de Brabant (French pronunciation: [ʒənvjɛv də bʁabɑ̃]) is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach, first performed in Paris in 1859. The plot is based on the medieval legend of Genevieve of Brabant. For the 1867 version two additional characters, men-at-arms, were added to Act 2 and given a comic duet, in English-speaking countries widely known as the "Gendarmes' Duet" or the "bold gendarmes", from H. B. Farnie's English adaptation. As well as being a popular performance piece, it formed the basis for the U.S. "Marines' Hymn".
Text from the Wikipedia article "Geneviève de Brabant", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Composer
Jacques Offenbach (; 20 June 1819 – 5 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Franz von Suppé, Johann Strauss II and Arthur Sullivan. His best-known works were continually revived during the 20th century, and many of his operettas continue to be staged in the 21st. The Tales of Hoffmann remains part of the standard opera repertory. Born in Cologne, Kingdom of Prussia, the son of a synagogue cantor, Offenbach showed early musical talent. At the age of 14, he…
Text from the Wikipedia article "Jacques Offenbach", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other Operas by Jacques Offenbach
- Die Rheinnixen
- Barbe-bleue (1697)
- Daphnis et Chloé (1811)
- La Périchole (1828)
- L'alcôve (1847)
- La chanson de Fortunio (1850)
- Ba-ta-clan (1855)
- La bonne d'enfant (1856)