“Go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company.” – Mark Twain

If you need proof that the second half of this statement is true, look no further! The overture to Jacques Offenbach‘s first opera, Orpheus in the Underworld, is all the proof you’ll need.

The opera is based on the Greek myth where Orpheus travels to hades to bring back his dead wife (spoiler alert: Orpheus is a dolt and screws the whole thing up). Now, when Mozart drags us to hell, it’s genuinely frightening. When Wagner descends to the underworld, the music is sinister and fiery. But ignore those examples. Take the big journey down with Offenbach, and you get … the CAN CAN!

Despite his name, Edward German was English through-and-through. Most of his compositions reflect what the late Victorian English were into: comic operas (akin to Gilbert & Sullivan), symphonies with twee English titles, incidental music to Shakespeare plays, and Anglican church music. Compared to continental Europe, England’s 19th century music was relatively light and perhaps even shallow – but still good stuff!