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| Although the Infernal Galop from Orpheus in the Underworld and the Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann are now universally known, Offenbach nonetheless remains a completely misunderstood composer. The victim of many enduring prejudices, all completely unfounded, he has for a long time been unjustifiably underrated. It must be pointed out that his supposed perpetration of crimes against good taste has, for many years, reflected badly on the way his compositions are regarded: the French Cancan was conceived some 20 years after his death and the Gaité Parisienne was no more than a vulgarly orchestrated pastiche, conceived in 1938 for the Ballets Russes.
In fact, Offenbach is one of the finest composers of the Nineteenth Century. The true founder of French "Opera Bouffe", the complete catalogue of his oeuvre comprises no fewer than 600 pieces. There are more than 130 works for the stage (including a romantic grand opera "Die Rheinnixen", comic operas, opera bouffes, operettas and incidental music) as well as oratorios and cantatas, but also concertos, symphonic works, church music, chamber music, dance music, songs etc. A great many of his works remain unedited, and the most part of the editions published in the last century are no longer available. The OEK has set itself the goal of finally bringing to light these unjustifiably neglected musical treasures. |
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