Agree, the question: "What is an operetta?" at least once in a life arose in any person, and everyone found his answer. We will also plunge into this fascinating topic.
Operetta is a special genre of theatrical art. It can be defined as a musical production, which harmoniously combines the vocal skills of artists with their stage dialogues and dance studies. At its core, this is a multifaceted academic work, the drama of which is light, playful in nature, but sometimes hides an ironic connotation or even drama.
The historical roots of the operetta originate in ancient times, when actors in their performances played scenes from the life of the gods, staged in their honor many hours of performances, in which even the first rudiments of the operetta were traced back then. A love or tragic plot was not only musical, but also substantial in relation to dances and the production itself.
Little miracle - operetta
As a separate theater genre, operetta first appeared in the 19th century in European countries: Vienna, Germany, France, England. Having been in them, you can easily find the answer to the question: what is operetta in music? It was there that this type of art originated and was further developed.
The founder of the operetta is considered to be Jacques Offenbach. This is an outstanding French composer of German descent, who devoted most of his life to work in an unusual genre. Thanks to his works, a remarkable form of art was recognized by many significant figures of stage skill, for example, K. Stanislavsky. His fascination with the theater began with the operetta itself. In some sources, the Austrian composer Franz von Zuppe is called the founding father of the musical and vocal theater. Indeed, this fact can be taken as reliable, since Zuppe made a significant contribution to the operetta. Today, in almost every performance, thanks to his innovations, the waltz sounds, and the form of the performance is more sentimental, romantic, rather than comedic.
Operetta in Europe
The era of the French operetta was marked by the creative flowering of such a bright personality as Jacques Offenbach. He opened a small theater on the Champs Elysees (“Pouff-Parisienne”), where such great works as “The Two Blind People”, “Parisian Life”, “Orpheus in Hell”, “Beautiful Elena” and many others were staged. The operettas were distinguished by a cheerful message, wit, and wayward mood. The best time of the English operetta is associated with such eminent personalities as W. Gilbert and A. Sullivan. The fruitful collaboration of these talented people led to the creation of a cycle of Savoy performances. Among them, we can distinguish the comic opera “Jury trial”, dedicated to the issue of breaking a marriage promise. After her followed by the compilation of another 13 joint works, all of them were very successful.
Of particular interest is the Viennese classical operetta. Here it is impossible to ignore such a significant figure as Johann Strauss (son). It is with the name of this ingenious man, his talent that the musical theater of the cultural capital of Europe is associated. An outstanding composer met the operetta genre already in adulthood, and it is possible that this fact played a significant role in the creation of his subsequent works. Separately, it is worth highlighting the operetta The Bat, which took about 6 weeks to compose. This ingenious work is still considered one of the most outstanding works of the composer. It is worth asking a person a question: “What is an operetta?”, And the first associations that come to mind are Vienna, Johann Strauss-son and the grandiose work of the Austrian musician “Bat”.
Operetta in Russia
If we talk about our country, the operetta genre has not been recognized for a long time and has not enjoyed great success with our audience. People liked to watch vaudeville, musicals and pop shows more. In the second half of the 19th century, the situation is changing; the first groups working in the genre of small opera begin to appear in Russia.
Their repertoire consisted of works by European authors, mainly French. But then the productions themselves were carried out by such eminent meters of theatrical and musical art as A. Glazunov, V. Nemirovich-Danchenko, M. Tairov. The director and actor V. Lentovsky left a noticeable mark in this theatrical genre. He opened several major theaters in Russia, his magnificent and loud performances collected full houses. Both prominent artists and ordinary spectators sought to get to the performance. Thanks to his work in the operetta genre, many talented artists took their first steps: N. Monakhov, K. Grekov, V. Shuvalova, A. Bryansky, I. Vavich and others.
The heyday of the operetta genre in Russia falls on the Soviet period. Its founders are considered to be I. Dunaevsky and N. Strelnikov. The operetta of this time begins to acquire its distinctive features, it combines the traditions of the classical Viennese school with the trends of the new time. Performances are presented in a playful, temperamental, humorous, and sometimes mocking manner. But the performances are always impressive!
It was interesting to know that operetta as a genre exists only in Russia, only in our country there is such a name. In the West, this action is called "comic opera" or, as in Germany, "singspiel".
Let's talk about...
Above we briefly touched on the question: what is an operetta? There are many facets in music, as in any kind of art. It is possible to consider and learn each of them endlessly, but we will touch upon the holy of holies - the operetta theater.
In our country, the most famous scene of a small opera is in Moscow. The performances of this theater house preserve the classical traditions in presenting musical works, and at the same time welcome the modern approach to their creation. Directors, as a rule, choose good old performances, and at the same time skillfully use modern language, new techniques in presenting material and the latest technical innovations in providing light and sound in their work. Thanks to the brilliant work of directors and amazing cast, today the Moscow Operetta Theater occupies a leading position in Russia, and also enjoys great authority in Europe.
The best operettas
Perhaps the best works can easily be attributed to those that are staged and shown on the most famous stages of the world: Viennese, French, Russian. Among them are such remarkable operettas as The Bat and the Gypsy Baron by Johann Strauss Jr., the famous works of the Hungarian composer Imre Kalman “Mr. X”, “Silva”, “Bayadera”; the operettas of the unsurpassed Jacques Offenbach “Pericola” and “Beautiful Elena”; the unforgettable creations of Ferenc Lehar's The Merry Widow, Gypsy Love, the sparkling production of Louis Varne's Fanfan Tulip.
These and other wonderful works of great composers are known and loved in many countries. Spectators enjoy attending performances by entire families, because classics at all times touched the souls of representatives of different generations.
In a nutshell about the main thing
It should be noted that operetta is a genre that, like literary works, is perceived differently at each age. It’s one thing to read, for example, “Anna Karenina” in the tenth grade, and it’s quite another to read the story again in adulthood. It will be perceived in a completely different way. Musical productions share the same story.
Recently, the classical operetta often undergoes the introduction of other musical genres into a familiar script: a musical or a rock opera. Such a merger of theatrical trends is characteristic not only for our country, but also for the whole world of musical art. What is nice to know, it finds response in the hearts of connoisseurs of the wonderful operetta genre.