Jacques Offenbach

Jacques Offenbach (1819 – 1880), composer and cellist of the Romantic era, was one of the originators of the operetta form. He was one of the most influential composers of popular music in Europe in the 19th century, and many of his works remain in the repertory. While associated with light music, he also wrote one fully operatic masterpiece, Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann).