About the work
Die beiden Blinden (original title Les deux aveugles) is a one-act opéra bouffe by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Jules Moinaux. It premiered on 5 July 1855 at the newly opened Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens in Paris.
Plot
On a Paris bridge, the two beggar-musicians Patachon and Giraffier pose as blind to win sympathy and alms, even though both can see and hear perfectly well. Their real quarrel is over the best begging spot and how to split the takings.
Cultural significance
The piece was part of the opening season of the Bouffes-Parisiens in the summer of 1855, its fast, situational humour helping to establish the young theatre's early success.