What is an operetta? What is an operetta in music? Operetta theater

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Agree, the question is: "What is an operetta?" at least once in a lifetime it occurred to any person, and everyone found their own answer. We will plunge into this fascinating topic.

Operetta is a special genre of theatrical art. It can be defined as a musical production that harmoniously combines the vocal skills of the artists with their stage dialogues and dance studies. At its core, this is a multifaceted academic work, the dramaturgy of which is light, playful, but sometimes hides ironic overtones or even drama.

The historical roots of the operetta originate in ancient times, when the actors in their performances acted out scenes from the life of the gods, staged many hours of performances in their honor, in which the first rudiments of the operetta could be traced even then. A love or tragic plot was not only musical, but also meaningful in terms of dances and the production itself.

Little miracle - operetta

As a separate theatrical genre, operetta first appeared in the 19th century in European countries:Vienna, Germany, France, England. Having visited them, you can easily find the answer to the question: what is an operetta in music? It was there that this art form was born and developed further.

The founder of the operetta is considered to be Jacques Offenbach. This is an outstanding French composer of German origin, who devoted most of his life to work in an extraordinary genre. Thanks to his work, a wonderful art form was recognized by many significant figures in stage art, for example, K. Stanislavsky. His passion for the theater began with the operetta itself. In some sources, the Austrian composer Franz von Suppe 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 cause of the operetta. Today, in almost every performance, thanks to his innovations, a w altz sounds, and the form of performances is more sentimental, romantic than comedic.

Operetta in Europe

The era of the French operetta was marked by the creative flourishing of such a bright personality as Jacques Offenbach. He opened a small theater on the Champs-Elysées ("Bouf-Parisien"), where such great works as "Two Blind", "Paris 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 Savoyardperformances. Among them, one can single out the comic opera Trial by Jury, dedicated to the issue of breaking a marriage promise. It was followed by the composition of 13 more joint works, all of them were a great success.

Viennese classical operetta is of particular interest. Here one cannot ignore such a significant figure as Johann Strauss (son). It is with the name of this man of genius and his talent that the musical theater of the cultural capital of Europe is associated. The outstanding composer got acquainted with the genre of operetta already at a mature age, 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 brilliant work is still considered one of the most outstanding works of the composer. It is worth asking a person the 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 “Die Fledermaus”.

Operetta in Russia

If we talk about our country, then the operetta genre was not recognized for a long time and did not enjoy great success with our audience. People liked to watch vaudevilles, musicals and variety shows more. In the second half of the 19th century, the situation changed, and the first small opera groups began to appear in Russia.

Their repertoire consisted of works by European authors, mostly French. But on their ownproductions were performed by such eminent masters of theatrical and musical art as A. Glazunov, V. Nemirovich-Danchenko, M. Tairov. A noticeable mark in this theatrical genre was left by the director and actor V. Lentovsky. He opened several major theaters in Russia, his lavish and loud performances were sold out. Both prominent artists and ordinary spectators strove to get to the performances. 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. I. Dunayevsky and N. Strelnikov are considered to be its founders. The operetta of this time begins to acquire its own distinctive features, it combines the traditions of the classical Viennese school with the trends of modern times. Performances are presented in a playful, temperamental, joking, and sometimes mocking manner. But 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 art form. It is possible to examine and learn each of them endlessly, but we will touch upon the holy of holies - the operetta theater.

In our country, the most famous stage of a small opera is located in Moscow. The productions of this theater house are preservedclassical traditions in the presentation of musical works, and at the same time welcome a 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. Thanks to the brilliant work of the directors and amazing cast, today the Moscow Operetta Theater occupies a leading position in Russia, and also enjoys great prestige in Europe.

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 wonderful operettas as "The Bat" and "The Gypsy Baron" by Johann Strauss Jr., the famous works of the Hungarian composer Imre Kalman "Mr. X", "Silva", "La Bayadere"; the operettas of the unsurpassed Jacques Offenbach Pericola and La Belle Elena; unforgettable creations by Ferenc Lehar "The Merry Widow", "Gypsy Love", the sparkling production of Louis Varnet's "Fanfan Tulip".

These and other wonderful works of great composers are known and loved in many countries. The audience is happy to go to the performances with whole families, because the classics at all times touched the souls of representatives of various generations.

In a nutshell

It should be noted that operetta is a genre that, like literaryworks, at each age is perceived in its own way. It is one thing to read, for example, "Anna Karenina" in the tenth grade, and quite another to get acquainted with the plot once again in adulthood. It will be perceived differently. Musical productions share the same story.

Recently, the classical operetta often undergoes an introduction into the usual scenario of other musical genres: a musical or a rock opera. Such a fusion of theatrical trends is typical not only for our country, but for the entire world of musical art. What is pleasant to realize, it resonates in the hearts of connoisseurs of the wonderful genre of operetta.