Difference between revisions of "Operetta" - New World Encyclopedia
(New page: '''Operetta''' is a genre of light opera, ''light'' in terms both of music and subject matter. It is closely related both to opera and also to other forms of lighter [[musical theatre]...) |
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==Definitions== | ==Definitions== | ||
| − | Normally some of the [[libretto]] | + | Normally, in an operetta, some of the [[libretto]] is spoken rather than sung. Instead of moving from one musical number (literally so indicated in the scores) to another, the singers intersperse the musical segments with periods of [[dialogue]], minus any singing or musical accompaniment (though sometimes musical themes are played quietly under the dialogue)--and short passages of recitative are by no means unknown in operetta, especially as an introduction to a song. |
| − | Operettas are often considered less "serious" than operas, although this has more to do with the often comic (or even [[farce|farcical]]) plots than with the caliber of the music. Topical [[satire]] is a feature common to many operettas, although | + | Operettas are often considered less "serious" than operas, although this has more to do with the often comic (or even [[farce|farcical]]) plots than with the caliber of the music. Topical [[satire]] is a feature common to many operettas, although this is also true of some "serious" operas as well. Formerly, opera expressed politics in code in some countries, such as France; for example, the circumstances of the title character in the opera ''[[Robert le diable]]'' was a code for the parental conflict and resolution of king of France at its first performance. |
| − | Operetta is a precursor of the modern [[Musical theater|musical comedy]]. At the same time it has continued to exist alongside the newer form - with each influencing the other. There is a fundamental but subtle distinction between the two forms - and this distinction is quite useful, provided | + | Operetta is a precursor of the modern [[Musical theater|musical comedy]]. At the same time, it has continued to exist alongside the newer form--with each influencing the other. There is a fundamental but subtle distinction between the two forms--and this distinction is quite useful, provided one recognizes that nothing about the definition is clear, simple, or unambiguous. |
| − | Most operettas can be described as [[light opera]]s with acting, whereas most musicals are closer to being plays with singing. | + | Most operettas can be described as [[light opera]]s with acting, whereas most musicals are closer to being plays with singing. This can best be seen in the performers chosen in the two forms. An operetta's cast will normally be classically trained opera singers; indeed, there is essentially no difference between the scores for an opera and an operetta, except for the operetta's lightness. A musical uses actors who sing, but usually not in an operatic style. Like most "differential definitions" that could be drawn between the two forms, however, this distinction is quite often blurred. [[W.S. Gilbert]], for example, said that he preferred to use actors who could sing for his productions, while [[Ezio Pinza]], a great [[Don Giovanni]], appeared on Broadway in ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]],'' and there are features of operetta vocal style in Kern's ''[[Show Boat]]'' (1927), Bernstein's ''[[Candide (operetta)|Candide]],'' and Walt Disney's animated ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White]]'' (1937) among others. |
== History == | == History == | ||
| − | Operetta grew out of the French ''[[opéra comique]]'' around the middle of the | + | Operetta grew out of the French ''[[opéra comique]]'' around the middle of the nineteenth century, to satisfy a need for short, light works in contrast to the full-length entertainment of the increasingly serious ''opéra comique''. By this time the "comique" part of the genre name had become misleading: ''[[Carmen]]'' (1875) is an example of an ''opéra comique'' with a tragic plot. ''Opéra comique'' had dominated the French operatic stage since the decline of ''[[tragédie lyrique]].'' |
| − | Though [[Jacques Offenbach]] is usually credited with having written the first operettas, such as his ''[[La belle Hélène]]'' (1864), [[Ernest Newman]] remarked that the credit should really go to one Hervé, a singer, composer, librettist, conductor and scene painter, whose real name was [[Florimond Ronger]] (1825-1892). "But it was Offenbach who took up the genre and gave it its enormous vogue during the [[French Second Empire|Second Empire]] and afterwards."<ref>Ernest Newman, in Louis Biacolli, ed. ''The Opera Reader'' (New York: McGraw-Hill) | + | Though [[Jacques Offenbach]] is usually credited with having written the first operettas, such as his ''[[La belle Hélène]]'' (1864), [[Ernest Newman]] remarked that the credit should really go to one Hervé, a singer, composer, librettist, conductor, and scene painter, whose real name was [[Florimond Ronger]] (1825-1892). "But it was Offenbach who took up the genre and gave it its enormous vogue during the [[French Second Empire|Second Empire]] and afterwards."<ref>Ernest Newman, in Louis Biacolli, ed. ''The Opera Reader'' (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1953), 317.</ref> [[Robert Planquette]], [[André Messager]], and others carried on this tradition. |
| − | The most significant composer of operetta in the [[German language]] was the [[Austria]]n [[Johann Strauss, Jr.]] (1825-1899). His first work in this [[genre]] | + | The most significant composer of operetta in the [[German language]] was the [[Austria]]n [[Johann Strauss, Jr.]] (1825-1899). His first work in this [[genre]] was ''[[Indigo und die vierzig Räuber]]'' (1871). It was his third operetta, ''[[Die Fledermaus]]'' (1874), which became the most performed operetta in the world and remained his most popular stage work. Its libretto was based on a comedy written by Offenbach's librettists. In fact, Strauss may have been convinced to write the operetta by Offenbach himself although it is now suggested that it may have been his first wife, [[Henrietta Treffz]] who repeatedly encouraged Strauss to try his hand at writing for the theater. In all, he wrote 16 operettas and one opera in his lifetime, mostly with great success when first premiered although they are now largely forgotten, since his later librettists were not very talented and he worked for some of the time independent of the plot. His operettas, waltzes, polkas, and marches often have a strongly Viennese style and his great popularity has caused many to think of him as the national composer of Austria. In fact, when his stage works were first performed, the [[Theater an der Wien]] never failed to draw huge crowds, and after many of the numbers the audience would noisily call for encores. |
| − | [[Franz von Suppé]], a contemporary of Strauss, closely modeled his operettas after Offenbach. The Viennese tradition was carried on by [[Franz Lehár]], [[Oscar Straus (composer)|Oscar Straus]], [[Carl Zeller]], [[Karl Millöcker]], [[Leo Fall]], [[Richard Heuberger]], [[Edmund Eysler]], [[Ralph Benatzky]], [[Robert Stolz]], [[Emmerich Kálmán]], [[Nico Dostal]] and [[Sigmund Romberg]] in the | + | [[Franz von Suppé]], a contemporary of Strauss, closely modeled his operettas after Offenbach. The Viennese tradition was carried on by [[Franz Lehár]], [[Oscar Straus (composer)|Oscar Straus]], [[Carl Zeller]], [[Karl Millöcker]], [[Leo Fall]], [[Richard Heuberger]], [[Edmund Eysler]], [[Ralph Benatzky]], [[Robert Stolz]], [[Emmerich Kálmán]], [[Nico Dostal]], and [[Sigmund Romberg]] in the twentieth century. |
| − | The height of English-language operetta (at the time known in England as [[comic opera]] to distinguish it from French or German operetta) was reached by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]], who had a long-running collaboration in [[England]] during the [[Victorian era]]. With [[W. S. Gilbert]] writing the libretto and [[Arthur Sullivan|Sir Arthur Sullivan]] composing the music, the pair produced 14 "comic operas" together, most of which were enormously popular in both Britain and elsewhere, especially the | + | The height of English-language operetta (at the time known in England as [[comic opera]] to distinguish it from French or German operetta) was reached by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]], who had a long-running collaboration in [[England]] during the [[Victorian era]]. With [[W.S. Gilbert]] writing the libretto and [[Arthur Sullivan|Sir Arthur Sullivan]] composing the music, the pair produced 14 "comic operas" together, most of which were enormously popular in both Britain and elsewhere, especially the U.S., and remain popular to this day. Works such as ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]],'' ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]],'' and ''[[The Mikado]]'' continue to enjoy regular performances and even some film adaptations. These comic operas influenced the later American operettas, such as those by [[Victor Herbert]], and [[Musical theatre|musical comedy]]. |
| − | English operetta continued into the twentieth century, with works by composers such as [[Edward German]], [[Lionel Monckton]] and [[Harold Fraser-Simson]] - but increasingly these took on features of musical comedy until the distinction between an "old fashioned musical" and a "modern operetta" became very blurred indeed. Old fashioned British musicals, in particular, retained an "operetta-ish" | + | English operetta continued into the twentieth century, with works by composers such as [[Edward German]], [[Lionel Monckton]], and [[Harold Fraser-Simson]]--but increasingly these took on features of musical comedy until the distinction between an "old fashioned musical" and a "modern operetta" became very blurred indeed. Old fashioned British musicals, in particular, retained an "operetta-ish" flavor well into the 1950s. More modern operettas include ''[[Candide (operetta)|Candide]]'' and, some would claim, musicals like ''[[Brigadoon]]''. |
| − | A late | + | A late twentieth century renewal of the importance of recitative and through composing in [[rock opera|some modern musicals]], in fact, brings some such works closer (in some ways) to traditional opera than to operetta. |
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==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
| − | + | <references/> | |
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | *Ganzl, Kurt. ''The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre'' | + | *Bordman, Gerald. ''American Operetta''. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. |
| + | *Ganzl, Kurt. ''The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre.'' New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. | ||
*Traubner, Richard. ''Operetta: A Theatrical History''. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1983 | *Traubner, Richard. ''Operetta: A Theatrical History''. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1983 | ||
| − | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| + | All links retrieved July 21, 2008. | ||
*[http://www.musicaltheatreguide.com/mainmenu.htm Extensive site with information about operettas, light operas and their composers] | *[http://www.musicaltheatreguide.com/mainmenu.htm Extensive site with information about operettas, light operas and their composers] | ||
*[http://www.musicals101.com/operetta.htm Essay on operettas of Offenbach, Johann Strauss Jr. and their contemporaries] | *[http://www.musicals101.com/operetta.htm Essay on operettas of Offenbach, Johann Strauss Jr. and their contemporaries] | ||
Revision as of 15:31, 21 July 2008
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is closely related both to opera and also to other forms of lighter musical theatre, and in many cases, it is difficult to assign a musical theatre work to a particular genre.
Definitions
Normally, in an operetta, some of the libretto is spoken rather than sung. Instead of moving from one musical number (literally so indicated in the scores) to another, the singers intersperse the musical segments with periods of dialogue, minus any singing or musical accompaniment (though sometimes musical themes are played quietly under the dialogue)—and short passages of recitative are by no means unknown in operetta, especially as an introduction to a song.
Operettas are often considered less "serious" than operas, although this has more to do with the often comic (or even farcical) plots than with the caliber of the music. Topical satire is a feature common to many operettas, although this is also true of some "serious" operas as well. Formerly, opera expressed politics in code in some countries, such as France; for example, the circumstances of the title character in the opera Robert le diable was a code for the parental conflict and resolution of king of France at its first performance.
Operetta is a precursor of the modern musical comedy. At the same time, it has continued to exist alongside the newer form—with each influencing the other. There is a fundamental but subtle distinction between the two forms—and this distinction is quite useful, provided one recognizes that nothing about the definition is clear, simple, or unambiguous.
Most operettas can be described as light operas with acting, whereas most musicals are closer to being plays with singing. This can best be seen in the performers chosen in the two forms. An operetta's cast will normally be classically trained opera singers; indeed, there is essentially no difference between the scores for an opera and an operetta, except for the operetta's lightness. A musical uses actors who sing, but usually not in an operatic style. Like most "differential definitions" that could be drawn between the two forms, however, this distinction is quite often blurred. W.S. Gilbert, for example, said that he preferred to use actors who could sing for his productions, while Ezio Pinza, a great Don Giovanni, appeared on Broadway in South Pacific, and there are features of operetta vocal style in Kern's Show Boat (1927), Bernstein's Candide, and Walt Disney's animated Snow White (1937) among others.
History
Operetta grew out of the French opéra comique around the middle of the nineteenth century, to satisfy a need for short, light works in contrast to the full-length entertainment of the increasingly serious opéra comique. By this time the "comique" part of the genre name had become misleading: Carmen (1875) is an example of an opéra comique with a tragic plot. Opéra comique had dominated the French operatic stage since the decline of tragédie lyrique.
Though Jacques Offenbach is usually credited with having written the first operettas, such as his La belle Hélène (1864), Ernest Newman remarked that the credit should really go to one Hervé, a singer, composer, librettist, conductor, and scene painter, whose real name was Florimond Ronger (1825-1892). "But it was Offenbach who took up the genre and gave it its enormous vogue during the Second Empire and afterwards."[1] Robert Planquette, André Messager, and others carried on this tradition.
The most significant composer of operetta in the German language was the Austrian Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899). His first work in this genre was Indigo und die vierzig Räuber (1871). It was his third operetta, Die Fledermaus (1874), which became the most performed operetta in the world and remained his most popular stage work. Its libretto was based on a comedy written by Offenbach's librettists. In fact, Strauss may have been convinced to write the operetta by Offenbach himself although it is now suggested that it may have been his first wife, Henrietta Treffz who repeatedly encouraged Strauss to try his hand at writing for the theater. In all, he wrote 16 operettas and one opera in his lifetime, mostly with great success when first premiered although they are now largely forgotten, since his later librettists were not very talented and he worked for some of the time independent of the plot. His operettas, waltzes, polkas, and marches often have a strongly Viennese style and his great popularity has caused many to think of him as the national composer of Austria. In fact, when his stage works were first performed, the Theater an der Wien never failed to draw huge crowds, and after many of the numbers the audience would noisily call for encores.
Franz von Suppé, a contemporary of Strauss, closely modeled his operettas after Offenbach. The Viennese tradition was carried on by Franz Lehár, Oscar Straus, Carl Zeller, Karl Millöcker, Leo Fall, Richard Heuberger, Edmund Eysler, Ralph Benatzky, Robert Stolz, Emmerich Kálmán, Nico Dostal, and Sigmund Romberg in the twentieth century.
The height of English-language operetta (at the time known in England as comic opera to distinguish it from French or German operetta) was reached by Gilbert and Sullivan, who had a long-running collaboration in England during the Victorian era. With W.S. Gilbert writing the libretto and Sir Arthur Sullivan composing the music, the pair produced 14 "comic operas" together, most of which were enormously popular in both Britain and elsewhere, especially the U.S., and remain popular to this day. Works such as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado continue to enjoy regular performances and even some film adaptations. These comic operas influenced the later American operettas, such as those by Victor Herbert, and musical comedy.
English operetta continued into the twentieth century, with works by composers such as Edward German, Lionel Monckton, and Harold Fraser-Simson—but increasingly these took on features of musical comedy until the distinction between an "old fashioned musical" and a "modern operetta" became very blurred indeed. Old fashioned British musicals, in particular, retained an "operetta-ish" flavor well into the 1950s. More modern operettas include Candide and, some would claim, musicals like Brigadoon.
A late twentieth century renewal of the importance of recitative and through composing in some modern musicals, in fact, brings some such works closer (in some ways) to traditional opera than to operetta.
Notes
- ↑ Ernest Newman, in Louis Biacolli, ed. The Opera Reader (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1953), 317.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Bordman, Gerald. American Operetta. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.
- Ganzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001.
- Traubner, Richard. Operetta: A Theatrical History. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1983
External links
All links retrieved July 21, 2008.
- Extensive site with information about operettas, light operas and their composers
- Essay on operettas of Offenbach, Johann Strauss Jr. and their contemporaries
- http://www.operetta-research-center.org (with a large archive of historical reviews)
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