Jacques Offenbach is not a favorite composer of mine. I cannot deny his incredible industry, his musicianship, nor his unending fount of melody and rhythm. Still, I find that he cannot hold a candle to Johann Strauss, Jr. or even to Franz von Suppe as a writer of 19th century operettas. On the other hand, as one of the most magnificent late blooming miracles in music, his final work, "The Tales of Hoffman", is a great 19th century opera which I love. As for the overtures offered, they are all quite enjoyable, but Maurice Rosenthal has picked all the best melodies and put them into "Gaite Parisienne". It is very good to get to hear "Le Mariage aux Lanternes".

Martinon conducts splendid and poetic performances of the overtures. He does not play them as just lollipops, but digs for the gold. Listen to the famous "can-can" when it comes--it actually seems to grow out of the earlier part of the overture rather than just be a raucous paste-on. Listen to how Martinon highlights the cello melodies; Offenbach wrote concert music for two cellos. If there is any criticism of Martinon's playing, it is that perhaps occasionally he goes for the gold when there is only silver there; he's a bit too much of a gentleman, sometimes. But we prize that in a Frenchman.

No little carpings on the remastering. At first I thought it was early stereo and then remembered that the source material had to be at least 50 years old. It never occured to me that this sound was from 1951; it seemed so well-matched to the music. The sound is not unlike the performance, rather poetic and a bit unspectacular. Rather gentlemanly, in fact.

Reviewer: Bill Rosen

Find out more:

The Jacques Offenbach Society
Extensive biography (in French)
OffenbachClub at Yahoo Groups