Infernal Galop (Can-Can) // OFFENBACH

Orphée aux enfers, whose title translates from the French as Orpheus in the Underworld, is an opéra bouffe (a form of operetta), or opéra féerie in its revised version. Its score was composed by Jacques Offenbach to a French text written by Ludovic Halévy and later revised by Hector-Jonathan Crémieux.

The work, first performed in 1858, is said to be the first classical full-length operetta. Offenbach's earlier operettas were small-scale one-act works, since the law in France did not allow full-length works of certain genres. Orpheus was not only longer, but more musically adventurous than Offenbach's earlier pieces.

This also marked the first time that Offenbach used Greek mythology as a background for one of his pieces. The operetta is an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck and his Orfeo ed Euridice and culminates in the risqué Galop infernal ("Infernal Galop") that shocked some in the audience at the premiere. Other targets of satire, as would become typical in Offenbach's burlesques, are the stilted performances of classical drama at the Comédie-Française and the scandals in society and politics of the Second French Empire.

The "Infernal Galop" from Act 2, Scene 2, is famous outside classical circles as the music for the "can-can" (to the extent that the tune is widely, but erroneously, called "can-can"). Saint-Saëns borrowed the Galop, slowed it to a crawl, and arranged it for the strings to represent the tortoise in The Carnival of the Animals.

[PianoCzarX]

2 years later, I'm embarrassed I made this

[mycentsu]

Percussionist: How many times should I hit the triangle?


Offenbach: _Y e s !_

[fredricgreenblott]

2010: This is an excellent yet classic and most well-known pieces of music!
2017: OMG ITS THE PERIODIC TABLE SONG!!!1!1!111!”

[philippaine]

Dear Mr Offenbach...what a legacy you left with this!!

[giabao]

If I had had my own country i would have chosen this song for national anthem

[casualwoomy]

Nobody:
The triangle player having a stroke: at the start

[cianoAME]

🟢🪈Green for Woodwinds
🟠🎺Orange for Brass
🟡🪘Yellow For Percussion
🟣🥁Violet for Timpani
🔴🎻Red for Strings

[fullarmor]

my piano doesn't do this sound D:

[phireball.]

“Green” = Woodwinds
Orange = Brass
Yellow = Percussion
Pink = Timpani
Red = Strings

I know it was already at the beginning of the video but I thought I’d put it in the comments

[ISmith-yyxx]

I can no longer hear this without thinking of the periodic table of elements and I cant decide if life is better or worse this way.

[jeromeascano]

This is very epic version of Can-can.I like it so much.

[thevoodooman]

Being a percussionist, I'm glad you didn't leave us out.

[elenabenavides]

I had an app installing while I was watching this. When the piece ended, my app fully installed. The greatest coincidence ever!!

[yaboibobby]

Thanks for uploading! Not really something I would learn, but fun to look at.

[spookbasic]

Nobody:





Not even the brass player






*the triangle player having a stroke*

[thewelder]

Why the hell are you embarrassed you made this? It's an amazing recreation of Gallop. Fantastic.

[ryszardkulesza]

Dzięki za taką pieśń i WSPANIAŁE WYKONANIE dla ŚWIATA to jest bardzo wskazane i mądre aby móc komentować do pracy nad sobą w interesie Polski i Europy spasiba spasiba

[mr.nolols]

My ears :can can
My hand : can’t can’t

[tbslkatie]

It looks like some box of crayons threw up...bluh but it sound amazing

[Angel-gheb]

This is very fast and hard this song even make me feel joy!!!