Light operas by Jacques Offenbach replace grand…

Light operas by Jacques Offenbach replace grand opera in Paris.

Despite problems with the libretto, Offenbach completes a serious opera in 1864, Die Rheinnixen, a hodgepodge of romantic and mythological themes.

The opera will be presented with substantial cuts at the Vienna Court Opera and in Cologne in 1865, after which it will not given again until 2002, when it is finally performed in its entirety.

Since then it has been given several productions.

It contains one number, the "Elfenchor", which Ernest Guiraud will later adapted as the Barcarolle in The Tales of Hoffmann.

After December 1864, Offenbach writes less frequently for the Bouffes-Parisiens, and many of his new works will premiere at larger theaters.

Offenbach's only son, Auguste, had been born in 1862, the last of five children.

In the same year, Offenbach had resigned as director of the Bouffes-Parisiens, handing the post over to Alphonse Varney.

He continues to write most of his works for the company, with the exception of occasional pieces for the summer season at Bad Ems.