Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) wrote Barbe-bleue (Bluebeard, Eng.; Blaubart, Ger.) while travelling in 1865. An op�ra bouffe in three acts, with a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Hal�vy based on Charles Perrault’s 1697 story, it relates the tale of many wives thought dead, mistaken identities, attempted murder, love, and marriage. As Offenbach seldom wrote overtures, thinking them a waste of time as he sought to create theater, not a concert atmosphere, most of Offenbach’s overtures were written by Fritz Hoffmann, which is the case for this operetta. Instrumentation: 1+Picc.2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Timp.perc(2): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).