What is a musical, if not a modernized operetta?

A musical as a genre was born at the end of the 19th century in the USA. Today it is very popular all over the world, including in our country. In essence, it is an operetta, but it is distinguished as a separate art form. For what reason - a special conversation.

Both the musical and the operetta are a combination of musical numbers, dialogues, dances and other artistic techniques, united by a single storyline. So what is the difference?

Some musicologists who believe that they know well what a musical is, say: "It's all about vocals." Rather, in his school. Say, in the opera he is one, in the operetta the other, and in the musical the third. However, in all three cases, voices are needed, and good. There are many recordings with parts from famous musicals, for example, the lullaby of Clara from Porgy and Bess by Gershwin, or The Memory from Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber, performed by famous opera singers.

The second version is different

whose genres are the plot. The opera is usually tragic, the operetta is comical. And what is a musical - comedy, tragedy or farce? Both that, and another, and the third. But operettas are sad ... And musicals too ... No, it's not about the plot.

The third, most important component of the musical is jazz. There are, however, rock operas, which can also be attributed to the same genre. “Juno and Avos”, “Jesus Christ - Superstar”, “Hair” give a very concrete idea of ​​what a musical is and what it should be like. Here on these best examples of the genre, it’s worth stopping in more detail.

Since its inception, musicals have used the most fashionable musical forms. And if the opera “Porgy and Bess” is oriented towards jazz fans, then Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story has the rock and roll intonations, however, in a symphonic design. “Jesus Christ is a Superstar”, “Cats”, “Evita”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Sunset Boulevard” and other works of Webber are closer to the seventies rock culture.

However, this assumption also has its contradictions. “The Monte Cristo Count” is a modern musical, however, oddly enough, hip-hop or RNB is not found when listening to it. The same can be said about the Notre Dame Cathedral. It sounds like it was written thirty years ago, and that's not bad at all. Such a style indicates that the genre in general terms has formed, it has its own, inherent only to him ideas about the classics. Now there is no need to tell in detail and tedious what a musical is, just give examples of works, and everyone will understand. Also, opera and operetta, the genres of vocal art that once developed rapidly and caused a lot of controversy, need no explanation.

Staging a musical is a time-consuming affair. The director is responsible for the creative concept of the show, vocalists, choral parts and drama, the main artist - for the decoration of the scenery. The dresser also has considerable concerns. One of the features of this genre is invariably entertainment. Everything should be beautiful: sound, costumes, and choreography. Technical design, including lighting and stage mechanics, is also organized according to the “last resort”. Executive producers deal with all these issues. A musical can only be considered valid when the viewer “voted with his feet”.