description Whittington Overview
Whittington is Offenbach's 1874 grand opera bouffe féerie based on Dick Whittington, his only major work to premiere in London.
help Whittington FAQ
Who composed the operetta Whittington?
Jacques Offenbach composed it in 1874 as an opera-bouffe feerie. It is notable as his only major work to premiere in London rather than in Paris.
What story is Offenbach's Whittington based on?
It is based on the English folk tale of Dick Whittington and his cat, the poor boy who rises to become Lord Mayor of London. Offenbach staged it as a feerie, a genre built around lavish magical transformations and spectacle.
Where did Offenbach's Whittington premiere?
It premiered on a London stage in 1874, making it the exception in Offenbach's otherwise Paris-centered career. The choice of an English subject and an English premiere was a deliberate bid for the Victorian theater audience.
How does Whittington fit with Offenbach's other feerie works?
It belongs to his late-career spectacular output, alongside pieces like Le Voyage dans la Lune (1875), an opera-feerie that likewise leaned on stage machinery and fantasy staging. Both show Offenbach chasing the grand visual fashion of the 1870s rather than the intimate bouffe style of his earlier hits.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
