OFFENBACH.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 9 March 1881, Page 4

OFFENBACH.

Offenbach died in harness, worn out and exhausted before his time. Tormented by the most painful of maladies, he wrote his playful music as Swift, in his anguish, wrote Ms satires. At times one can almost recognise in hia score that grimace of distress, like the grin which the surgeons call the sardonic laugh. Poor Offenbach bristled with weakness. He was as vain as a peacock, as ignorant as it is possible for any intelligent Ger.

:'o:j,'a Israelite to be, spasmodically ill-tem-pered and abomirir , .!;> 1 7 loose, both in his moral theories and hi* p r ; onal habits. Yet, somehow or another, a:- managed to die idolised by his children, profoundly respected by'his wife, and absolved _by his church. His appearance was striking, for he was nothing but a bunch of nerves. His hooked nose, his sharp chin, his leering projecting eyes, his confirmed stoop, all made him as odd a picture as the vision ever fell upon. The most awkward and uncomely of men, he was consumed by a wonderful confidence in his personal oharni3. Offenbach's greatest fault was his enormous conceit, te'ome years ago he was at Ems, while tbe Emperors of Germany and .Russia were sojourning at that watering-place. These potentates, anxious to meet Offenbach, but at the same time unwilling to invite him openly, arranged a little meeting at the house of a French nobleman who was related to the Prussian reigning family. Offenbach was invited to an afternoon tea, and was presented by his host to the two emperors. After some conversation the Emperor of Germany asked him if he would not kindly favor him with some music from one of his operas. " I would with pleasure," was the characteristic reply, " had I come to sing ; I only came to take tea." While in New York he" was very fond of visiting the theatres. Sitting one night in a box at the Union square Theatre, he turned to a gentleman who was with him and remarked : " Wagner, they say, is the musician of the future. In the same sense Rosini is the musician of the past; but I— 1 am the musician of the present." One evening Offenbach, was invited to a dinner party in Paris at which persons well-known in the grande monde were present. A young Marquis, belonging to one of the oldest and most famous families in France, was about to enter the dining-room before the maestro, but on seeing the composer of Lα Grand Duche-sse, he drew back and allowed the "aquiline spider" to take precedence of him. After dinner Offenbach approached the young man and smilingly said : "lam glad that you have such good sense ; in this world talent ought always to precede rank." The common belief in France that Offenbach, had the " evil eye " is not generally known here. Many French people were averse to crossing the ocean in the steamer with him, and upon the day he left America, a sailor fell from the rigging of the ship and was killed. "No wonder," was the general remark, "'for Offenbach was on board." — New York Hour.