Franz von Suppé was obliged to compete with them by taking the time-honored traditions of Vienna and combining it with the new style of Offenbach.

Die schöne Galathée was Franz von Suppé's first critical success.

The first performance was at the Meysels-Theater [de] in Berlin on 30 June 1865, with Anna Grobecker of the Vienna Carltheater as a guest star singing the role of Ganymed.

The sculptor Pygmalion has fallen madly in love with his statue of Galathée and accordingly does not want to sell it to Mydas, a patron of the arts.

When Pygmalion catches Galathée in a compromising situation, he successfully implores Venus to turn her back into stone.