La belle Hélène
Music by Jacques Offenbach · libretto by Q723648 · premiered 1864 · at Théâtre des Variétés
La belle Hélène (French pronunciation: [la bɛl elɛn], The Beautiful Helen) is an opéra bouffe in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.
The piece parodies the story of Helen of Troy's elopement with Paris, which set off the Trojan War. The premiere was at the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris, on 17 December 1864. The work ran well, and productions followed in three continents. La belle Hélene continued to be revived throughout the 20th century and has remained a repertoire piece in the 21st.
Text from the Wikipedia article "La belle Hélène", 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)