Operetta

This article is about the form of theatre and a genre of light opera. For the film genre, see Operetta film. For the German film of the same name, see Operetta (film). For the Monster High character, see List of Monster High characters § Operetta.

The audience at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, the birthplace of Jacques Offenbach's operettas. Caricature of 1860 by Émile Bayard.

Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size,[1] and length of the work.[2] Apart from its shorter length, the operetta is usually of a light and amusing character.[3] The subject matter may portray "lovers' spats, mistaken identities, sudden reversals of fortune, and glittering parties".[4] It sometimes also includes satirical commentaries.[5]

A Columbia Records advertisement for a recording of Rita Montaner in a production of Eliseo Grenet and Ernesto Lecuona's Niña Rita, o, La Habana en 1830, an operetta from the Spanish genre of zarzuela.

"Operetta" is the Italian diminutive of "opera" and was used originally to describe a shorter, perhaps less ambitious work than an opera.[6] Operetta provides an alternative to operatic performances in an accessible form targeting a different audience. Operetta became a recognizable form in the mid-19th century in France, and its popularity led to the development of many national styles of operetta.[6] Distinctive styles emerged across countries including Austria-Hungary, Germany, England, Spain, the Philippines, Mexico, Cuba, and the United States.[7] Through the transfer of operetta among different countries, cultural cosmopolitanism emerged in the previous century.[8] Operetta as a genre lost favor in the 1930s and gave way to modern musical theatre.[9] Important operetta composers include Johann Strauss, Jacques Offenbach, Franz Lehár, and Francisco Alonso.

  1. ^ "Opera, Operetta, or Musical Theatre? – Blog". Opera Vivrà. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  2. ^ Kennedy, Dennis, ed. (2005). "Operetta". The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-860174-6.
  3. ^ Grout, Donald Jay & Williams, Hermine Weigel (2013). A Short History of Opera. Columbia University Press. p. 378. ISBN 978-0231507721. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  4. ^ [1] Metropolitan Opera website
  5. ^ "The beginner's guide to operetta | English National Opera". Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b Lamb, Andrew (2001). "Operetta". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.20386. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
  7. ^ Baranello, Micaela (2016). Operetta. doi:10.1093/obo/9780199757824-0171.
  8. ^ Scott, Derek B. (29 December 2016). "Early Twentieth-Century Operetta from the German Stage: A Cosmopolitan Genre". The Musical Quarterly: gdw009. doi:10.1093/musqtl/gdw009.
  9. ^ Traubner, Richard (1 June 2004). Operetta. doi:10.4324/9780203509029. ISBN 9780203509029.[page needed]