The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater

OPERETTA

operetta: translation

The term "operetta" derives from French, German, and Italian sources, but in common usage it suggests a small or light opera. In America, operetta gained popularity when Jacques Offenbach's opéra bouffe works first appeared in the 1860s and, in part, through the popularity of the English operettas of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, beginning with a highly successful New York run ofThe Pirates of Penzancein 1879. American operetta emerged in the same period, with the triumph ofThe Black Crook(1866), which is also referred to as the first musical.Erminie(1886), with music by Edward Jakobowski, scored a great success, playing over 1,250 performances, after which many operettas filled American stages well into the 20th century. A number of touring companies gave Americans everywhere an appetite for operetta. Best of all were the Bostonians, led byHenry C. Barnabee. The Bostonians' greatest success,Robin Hood(1891), was also the finest work by composer Reginald De Koven (1859-1920), in collaboration with his frequent librettist Harry B. Smith (1860-1936), who also createdThe Fencing Master(1892),The Knickerbockers(1893),The Algerian(1893),Rob Roy(1894),The Tzigane(1895),The Mandarin(1896),The Highwayman(1897),Maid Marian(1902), andThe Jersey Lily(1903), among many others. Other popular touring companies were the Whitney Opera Company, McCaull's Opera Company, and the Salsbury Troubadours.
"March King" John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) wrote operettas, includingEl Capitân(1896). Victor Herbert (1859-1924) became the predominant composer of operettas when his more cohesive scores in support of each work's libretto elevated the form. ForAlice Nielsen, Herbert wroteThe Fortune Teller(1899) andThe Singing Girl(1900). Others by Herbert includeBabes in Toyland(1903),Mlle.Modiste(1905),The Red Mill(1906),Naughty Marietta(1910),The Enchantress(1911),The Lady of the Slipper(1912),Sweethearts(1913),The Madcap Duchess(1913),The Princess Pat(1915), andEileen(1917). Other operettas found popularity before the gradual decline of the genre from theWorldWar I years:The Whirl of the Town(1897; music by Gustave Kerker) andThe Prince of Pilsen(1903; music by Gustav Luders, lyrics by Frank Pixley).
Rudolf Friml (1879-1972) composedThe Firefly(1912),Rose Marie(1924),The Vagabond King(1925),The Three Musketeers(1928), andLuana(1930). Key elements of operetta fueled developments in musical theatre, and thus in the same era, Sigmund Romberg (1887-1951) walked the line between operetta and musical comedy. Among his Broadway musicals, Romberg wrote several vehicles forAl Jolson, includingDancing Around(1914) andSinbad(1918), but made his lasting mark with the operettasMaytime(1917),Blossom Time(1921),The Rose of Stamboul(1922),The Student Prince(1924),Princess Flavia(1925),The Desert Song(1926),Rosalie(1928),The New Moon(1928), andUp in Central Park(1945). Usually claimed by musical theatre,Show Boat(1927), by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II,* contains elements of operetta. Among the many notable American performers of operetta, standouts includeLillian Russell, De Wolfe Hopper, Marie Dressler, and Fritzi Scheff. Operetta survived during the 1930s mostly through lavish motion picture versions of works by Herbert, Friml, and Romberg, many starring Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, and a brief revival in the 1950s starring Ann Blyth, Gordon MacRae, and others.
See alsomusic.

  1. operetta—operetta translationSynonyms and related wordsBroadway musical Singspiel ballad opera ballet ballet divertissement chorus show comedy ballet comic opera dance drama grand...Moby Thesaurus
  2. operetta—[pret]оперетта...Англо-русский большой универсальный переводческий словарь
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  10. operetta—nоперета оперетка...Англо-украинский словарь
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  13. operetta—f оперетта оперетка Итальянорусский словарь....Большой итальяно-русский и русско-итальянский словарь
  14. operetta—Оперетта...Крымскотатарско-русский словарь
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  17. operetta—[pretpret] n. оперетта. опереточный жанр...Новый большой англо-русский словарь
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  20. operetta—pretpret n . оперетта . опереточный жанр...Новый большой англо-русский словарь под общим руководством акад. Ю.Д. Апресяна
  21. operetta—pretpret n . оперетта . опереточный жанр...Новый большой англо-русский словарь под общим руководством акад. Ю.Д. Апресяна