The content of the article
OPERETTA(Italian operetta, French opérette, literally - a small opera), a type of musical theater; a musical and stage work in which the dramatic basis is predominantly comedic and melodramatic, and the dialogue is organically combined with vocal, musical and dance episodes, as well as concert-type orchestral fragments.
Origin.
The origins of the operetta go back centuries. Already in the ecstatic ancient mysteries in honor of the god Dionysus, which are considered the prototype of European drama, one can identify some genre features operettas: a combination of music with pantomime, dance, buffoonery, carnival and love affair. A noticeable influence on the overall evolution of the operetta had Greek comedy, in particular the parody comedies of manners by Aristophanes and Menander, as well as the Roman comedy of Plautus and Terence; then comedic characters in medieval morality, mysteries and miracles. Following the emergence of serious opera c. 1600, such a new musical and theatrical genre as intermezzo appeared. Mistress Maid(1733) G. Pergolesi is an example of intermezzo, which served as a model for subsequent works. Success Maid Mistresses in Paris prompted J.J. Rousseau to develop this genre on the French stage. His village sorcerer(1752) is one of the three sources underlying the opéra-comique, the French comic opera. Two other sources were comedies-ballets by Molière and J.B. Lully and vaudevilles staged in folk fair theaters.
French operetta.
July 5, 1855 is considered the official birthday of the operetta. On this day, J. Offenbach, a true Parisian, although a native of the German city of Cologne, opened his small theater on the Champs Elysees - "Buff-Parisien". Over the next twenty years, he wrote and staged 89 operettas in the theater, among which Orpheus in hell (1858), Genevieve of Brabant (1859), Beautiful Elena (1864), Parisian life (1866), Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (1867), Pericola (1868), Princess of Trebizond (1869), Rogues(1869) and Madame Arshidyuk(1874). Offenbach, an excellent theatrical composer - dynamic, cheerful, brilliant and elegant - created the operetta as an artistic whole and raised it to unsurpassed heights. Although among the followers of Offenbach in France there were people of outstanding talent, their works enjoyed only temporary success. So, F. Herve (1825–1892) wrote Mademoiselle Nitush(1883); C. Lecoq (1832-1918) - Daughter of Madame Ango(1873) and Zhirofle-Zhiroflya(1874); E. Odran (1842-1901) - Mascott; R. Plunket (1848-1903) - Corneville bells(1877) and A.Message (1853-1929) - Little Misha(1897) and Veronica(1898). With these compositions, the golden age of French operetta ends.
Viennese classical operetta.
The greatness and brilliance of the Viennese classical operetta, its main asset and its pride, is, of course, personified by J. Strauss Jr., whose phenomenal gift for creating magnificent, noble melodies manifested itself in 479 works. Strauss first turned to the musical-theatrical genre at the age of 46 (as they say, on the advice of Offenbach), already being world-famous. famous composer, author of waltzes On the beautiful blue Danube, Tales of the Vienna Woods, Wine, women and songs and The life of an artist. After two successful but not too outstanding experiences ( Indigo and the Forty Thieves, 1871, and roman carnival, 1873) Strauss created a real masterpiece, the highest achievement in the genre of operetta - bat(1874). The operetta was completed in 42 days and has since become the epitome of charm, fun and joy of life in good old Vienna. Among other Strauss operettas greatest success enjoyed merry war (1881), Night in Venice(1883) and Gypsy baron (1885). Strauss's followers were F. von Suppe and K. Milöckker (1842-1899), whose operettas also belong to the great Viennese tradition, although most of them are significantly outdated due to very weak librettos.
English operetta.
The heyday of the English operetta is associated primarily and mainly with the 14 magnificent fruits of the immortal collaboration of W. Gilbert and A. Sullivan. Gilbert's satirical talent, combined with the grace of Sullivan's music, produced such truly inspired works as Her Majesty's Frigate Pinafore (1878), Pirates of Penzance (1880), Mikado (1885), Guardsman(1888) and Gondoliers(1889). Gilbert and Sullivan were followed by E. German (1862–1936) with his Merry England(1902) and S. Jones (1869–1914), author Geisha (1896).
Viennese operetta 20th century
In the period between the heyday of classical Viennese and the formation of modern Viennese operetta, good works were created that brought income to theaters and even - in cases, for example, bird seller(1891) K. Zeller, Ball at the Opera(1898) R. Heuberger, tramp(1900) K. Zierera and Beauty(1901) by G. Reinhardt - had quite definite advantages. In these works, the dance, an attribute, comes to the fore again. light musical theater. The transition to the tastes of the new century was not sudden. Offenbach and Strauss used cancans, waltzes, polkas and marches not only to decorate their scores, but also for musical and dramatic purposes - to describe the situation and develop the action. By 1900 application dance rhythms as a means of dramatic expression has become a common practice. F. Legar gave the above trend artistic significance. His The Merry Widow(1905) is one of the most frequently performed operettas in the world. Here the composer captured the spirit of the time and gave it a convincing expression that did not fade with time. Lehar wrote 24 more operettas, among which stand out Count of Luxembourg (1909), gypsy love (1910), Paganini (1925), Frederica(1928) and Land of smiles(1929). These works demonstrate the movement of the operetta towards the opera, a trend that turned out to be unfavorable for the life of the operetta as a genre and eventually led to its disappearance. At the same time as Lehar, about two dozen composers worked in Vienna, and each of them became famous for something. This is L. Fall (1873–1925), who wrote dollar princess(1907) and Madame Pompadour(1922); O. Strauss (1870–1954), author Dreams of a waltz(1907) and chocolate soldier(1908); E. Kalman (1882–1953), author of operettas Sari (1912), gypsy princess(1915) and Countess Maritza (1924).
Operetta in Russia.
Until the 19th century there was practically no original Russian operetta. At that time, the domestic stage musical comedy in Russia developed in the genre of vaudeville, its main author was the playwright, while the musical numbers (dances and couplets) were of an applied, insert character, unlike the operetta, they not so much served to develop the action as illustrated it. A rarer variety musical performances of that time were the so-called. "mosaics" musical score which was collected from popular works- romances and pop songs (Russian romances in faces and Gypsy songs in faces Kulikov; Hadji Murad Decker-Schenk; snake Spaschek; Night of love Valentinov and others).
The history of the stage operetta in Russia began with the production of beautiful Elena Offenbach (1868, Alexandrinsky Theatre). From 1870, independent operetta troupes arose, which staged mainly works by French and Austrian composers.
An entrepreneur, director and actor V. Lentovsky played a significant role in the formation and development of the stage operetta in Russia. In 1878 he organized an enterprise in the operetta genre in the Moscow summer garden The Hermitage is a theater with a large orchestra, choir and ballet. The performances combined the bright splendor of the design with a high vocal and musical culture and a convincing acting. His performances were very popular with both the general public and artists. The Lentovsky Theater had a significant influence on the young K. Stanislavsky, his passion for theater began with an operetta.
Following the Lentovsky theater, operetta troupes appeared in St. Petersburg (the most famous in the 19th century were the Palace Theater and Summer Buff) and in the Russian provinces. The development of operetta in Russia at that time was associated with the names of such actors as A. Blumenthal-Tamarin, A. Bryansky, K. Grekov, A. Koshevsky, N. Monakhov, I. Vavich, V. Piontkovskaya, V. Shuvalova, E. Potopchin and others.
Russian composers at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. also sometimes turned to the operetta, but these were only isolated attempts. So, for example, in 1913 A. Glazunov, who at that time was the rector of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, called the first Russian operetta a work written by an Azerbaijani student of the Conservatory U. Gadzhibekov Arshin mal alan. In general, the national operetta in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. was in its infancy.
An important stage in the development of the operetta theater in Russia took place in the 1920s. This was reflected in the New Economic Policy (NEP), adopted in 1921 by the Soviet government. Reappeared in Russia wealthy people who were looking for entertainment. Under these conditions, the operetta genre became extremely popular. The basis of the performances was still not Russian, but classical operetta - most often French, but well-known Russian directors turned to its productions. V. Nemirovich-Danchenko Music studio Moscow art theater staged Daughter of Madame Ango Lecoq (1920) and perichole Offenbach, M. Tairov Chamber Theater – Zhirofle-Zhiroflya(1922) and Day and night(1926) Lecoq. The extreme popularity of the genre was reflected in the state cultural policy: in the late 1920s, one after the other opened state theaters operettas. The first of these was the Khabarovsk Theater in 1926 (it was also called the Theater of Comic Opera), then the Moscow Operetta Theater (1927), the Leningrad Theater musical comedy(1929), as well as theaters in Sverdlovsk, Voronezh, Ivanov, Kharkov, Kyiv, Rostov-on-Don and other cities. However, the state cultural policy demanded a different, "non-bourgeois" repertoire, before Soviet composers the task was to create a new operetta with new characters and new content.
Composers N. Strelnikov and I. Dunaevsky are considered the founders of the Soviet operetta.
Strelnikov in the development of his operettas followed mainly the traditions Viennese school- both in music and in storylines, creating a kind of buff melodrama. His most famous operetta is Kholopka(1929) is close in storyline and musical structure circus princess Kalman.
Dunaevsky, in fact, revolutionized the genre, organically combining entertainment and ideological lines in the operetta. His first operettas Both ours and yours(1924), Prime Minister's career(1925) were close to vaudeville, the next one, suitors(1927), marked a turn towards a new, Soviet operetta style. She had a pronounced satirical and parodic orientation, ridiculing the traditional for that time negative characters- Nepmen and townsfolk, and parodying the neo-Viennese operetta (in particular, merry widow Lehar). In operetta Knives(1928) the satirical line was supplemented by a lyrical one and an image of new goodies. An innovative technique was the use by Dunayevsky in the operetta of a mass song, often pathos and even propaganda, which later became one of the most important expressive means. musical dramaturgy Soviet operetta. The most famous operettas by Dunayevsky are built on these principles - golden valley(1937), Free wind(1947), white locust (1955). Dunaevsky's talent as a composer made his music popular among the people: perhaps the apotheosis of his creative method became a song Wide is my native land, first performed in 1936 in the filmed musical comedy The circus- essentially an operetta.
Emotionality, humor, spectacle, combined with social optimism made the Soviet operetta one of the most popular genres. theatrical art.
A major event in the history of the genre was the appearance in 1937 of the operetta Wedding in Malinovka B. Alexandrov, dedicated civil war in Ukraine. This operetta was widely staged until the early 1990s.
During the Great Patriotic War in the repertoire Soviet theaters operettas appeared works on patriotic theme: Girl from Barcelona Alexandrova (1942), The sea spread wide Krutz, Mincha and Vitlin (1942, revised G. Sviridova – 1943), tobacco captain(1944) and others. The Leningrad Theater of Musical Comedy worked in the besieged city throughout the blockade, helping Leningraders survive with their art.
After the war, new names of composers appeared among the authors of the operetta: Y. Milyutin ( Girl Rush, Trembita, Chanita's Kiss), V.Soloviev-Sedoy ( most cherished), T. Khrennikov ( One hundred devils and one girl), D.Kabalevsky ( Spring sings), K. Listov ( Sevastopol waltz). The recognized masters of the genre continue to work actively: Dunaevsky ( Free wind, white locust), Sviridov ( lights). The great D. Shostakovich also paid tribute to the operetta - Moscow, Cheryomushki(1959).
G. Yaron, N. Bravin, T. Bakh, K. Novikova, Yu. Alekseev, Z. Belaya, A. Feona, V. Kandelaki, T. Shmyga, N. Yanet, G.Ots, L.Amarfiy, V.Bateyko, M.Rostovtsev, G.Korchagina-Aleksandrovskaya, G.Vasiliev, J.Zherder, Z.Vinogradova, B.Smolkin and many others. others
Around the mid-1960s, the clearly defined boundaries of the operetta genre began to gradually blur. Enriching the palette of their expressive means, theaters, along with the classical operetta, began to turn to musical works other genres - rock opera, musical. Such a process of genre integration is characteristic not only of Russia - it characterizes the development of theatrical and musical art worldwide.
Tatyana Shabalina
Operetta is a musical theatrical genre. The very word "operetta" in translation from Italian means "little opera". Already from the translation it becomes clear that the operetta practically does not differ from the usual opera. This is the same combination of vocal and instrumental music and theatrical performance.The operetta is light, entertaining, it can never be a tragedy, most often an operetta is a parody. Although there are arias, duets, choir scenes and solo parts of individual instruments in the operetta, they perform simple parts, most often of a dance or song nature.
The main difference between an operetta and an opera is the dance. If in the opera we can never see a dance, then in the operetta every action must necessarily end with a dance. As a rule, the corps de ballet (a group of dancers) shows the most popular dance of its time, thus, you can immediately determine at what time and in what country the operetta was written. Another difference between the little opera and its "big sister" is that all the vocal parts are written in the song-couplet genre. This is due to the entertaining nature of the operetta, couplet songs are much easier to perceive by listeners.
The operetta originated in the middle of the 19th century in France, and by the end of the century it had spread throughout almost all of Europe, reaching America in the 1980s. F. Herve and J. Offenbach are considered the fathers of the operetta, it was they who created the first works of this genre and put them on big stage. The first operettas were parodies of literary works, the situation changed when the public got tired of constantly watching parodies, they wanted something more, so composers abandoned parodies and began to create their own comic works.
In our country, operettas appeared rather late, only at the beginning of the twentieth century. The first composers who wrote the operetta were: V.P. Solovyov-Sedoy, T.N. Khrennikov, I.O., Dunaevsky. IN AND. Muradeli. Russian operetta is somewhat different from European and Western ones in that it is often based on heroic, romantic and lyrical plots. Nevertheless, in our country, composers began to write operettas for young viewers.
The content of the article
OPERETTA(Italian operetta, French opérette, literally - a small opera), a type of musical theater; a musical and stage work in which the dramatic basis is predominantly comedic and melodramatic, and the dialogue is organically combined with vocal, musical and dance episodes, as well as concert-type orchestral fragments.
Origin.
The origins of the operetta go back centuries. Already in the ecstatic ancient mysteries in honor of the god Dionysus, which are considered the prototype of European drama, some genre features of the operetta can be identified: a combination of music with pantomime, dance, buffoonery, carnival and love intrigue. A notable influence on the overall evolution of operetta was Greek comedy, in particular the parody comedies of manners by Aristophanes and Menander and the Roman comedy of Plautus and Terentius; then comedic characters in medieval morality, mysteries and miracles. Following the emergence of serious opera c. 1600, such a new musical and theatrical genre as intermezzo appeared. Mistress Maid(1733) G. Pergolesi is an example of intermezzo, which served as a model for subsequent works. Success Maid Mistresses in Paris prompted J.J. Rousseau to develop this genre on the French stage. His village sorcerer(1752) is one of the three sources underlying the opéra-comique, French comic opera. Two other sources were comedies-ballets by Molière and J.B. Lully and vaudevilles staged in folk fair theaters.
French operetta.
July 5, 1855 is considered the official birthday of the operetta. On this day, J. Offenbach, a true Parisian, although a native of the German city of Cologne, opened his small theater on the Champs-Elysées - Bouff-Parisien. Over the next twenty years, he wrote and staged 89 operettas in the theater, among which Orpheus in hell (1858), Genevieve of Brabant (1859), Beautiful Elena (1864), Parisian life (1866), Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (1867), Pericola (1868), Princess of Trebizond (1869), Rogues(1869) and Madame Arshidyuk(1874). Offenbach, an excellent theatrical composer - dynamic, cheerful, brilliant and elegant - created the operetta as an artistic whole and raised it to unsurpassed heights. Although among the followers of Offenbach in France there were people of outstanding talent, their works enjoyed only temporary success. So, F. Herve (1825–1892) wrote Mademoiselle Nitush(1883); C. Lecoq (1832-1918) - Daughter of Madame Ango(1873) and Zhirofle-Zhiroflya(1874); E. Odran (1842-1901) - Mascott; R. Plunket (1848-1903) - Corneville bells(1877) and A.Message (1853-1929) - Little Misha(1897) and Veronica(1898). With these compositions, the golden age of French operetta ends.
Viennese classical operetta.
The greatness and brilliance of the Viennese classical operetta, its main asset and its pride, is, of course, personified by J. Strauss Jr., whose phenomenal gift for creating magnificent, noble melodies manifested itself in 479 works. Strauss first turned to the musical-theatrical genre at the age of 46 (as they say, on the advice of Offenbach), already a world-famous composer, author of waltzes. On the beautiful blue Danube, Tales of the Vienna Woods, Wine, women and songs and The life of an artist. After two successful but not too outstanding experiences ( Indigo and the Forty Thieves, 1871, and roman carnival, 1873) Strauss created a real masterpiece, the highest achievement in the genre of operetta - bat(1874). The operetta was completed in 42 days and has since become the epitome of charm, fun and joy of life in good old Vienna. Among the other operettas by Strauss, the most successful were merry war (1881), Night in Venice(1883) and Gypsy baron(1885). Strauss's followers were F. von Suppe and K. Milöckker (1842-1899), whose operettas also belong to the great Viennese tradition, although most of them are significantly outdated due to very weak librettos.
English operetta.
The heyday of the English operetta is associated primarily and mainly with the 14 magnificent fruits of the immortal collaboration of W. Gilbert and A. Sullivan. Gilbert's satirical talent, combined with the grace of Sullivan's music, produced such truly inspired works as Her Majesty's Frigate Pinafore (1878), Pirates of Penzance (1880), Mikado (1885), Guardsman(1888) and Gondoliers(1889). Gilbert and Sullivan were followed by E. German (1862–1936) with his Merry England(1902) and S. Jones (1869–1914), author Geisha (1896).
Viennese operetta 20th century
In the period between the heyday of classical Viennese and the formation of modern Viennese operetta, good works were created that brought income to theaters and even - in cases, for example, bird seller(1891) K. Zeller, Ball at the Opera(1898) R. Heuberger, tramp(1900) K. Zierera and Beauty(1901) by G. Reinhardt - had quite definite advantages. In these works, dance, an attribute of light musical theater, again comes to the fore. The transition to the tastes of the new century was not sudden. Offenbach and Strauss used cancans, waltzes, polkas and marches not only to decorate their scores, but also for musical and dramatic purposes - to describe the situation and develop the action. By 1900, the use of dance rhythms as a means of dramatic expression had become common practice. F. Legar gave the above trend artistic significance. His The Merry Widow(1905) is one of the most frequently performed operettas in the world. Here the composer captured the spirit of the time and gave it a convincing expression that did not fade with time. Lehar wrote 24 more operettas, among which stand out Count of Luxembourg (1909), gypsy love (1910), Paganini (1925), Frederica(1928) and Land of smiles(1929). These works demonstrate the movement of the operetta towards the opera, a trend that turned out to be unfavorable for the life of the operetta as a genre and eventually led to its disappearance. At the same time as Lehar, about two dozen composers worked in Vienna, and each of them became famous for something. This is L. Fall (1873–1925), who wrote dollar princess(1907) and Madame Pompadour(1922); O. Strauss (1870–1954), author Dreams of a waltz(1907) and chocolate soldier(1908); E. Kalman (1882–1953), author of operettas Sari (1912), gypsy princess(1915) and Countess Maritza (1924).
Operetta in Russia.
Until the 19th century there was practically no original Russian operetta. At that time, the domestic stage musical comedy in Russia developed in the genre of vaudeville, its main author was the playwright, while the musical numbers (dances and couplets) were of an applied, insert character, unlike the operetta, they not so much served to develop the action as illustrated it. A rarer variety of musical performances of that time were the so-called. "mosaics", the musical score of which was collected from popular works - romances and pop songs ( Russian romances in faces and Gypsy songs in faces Kulikov; Hadji Murad Decker-Schenk; snake Spaschek; Night of love Valentinov and others).
The history of the stage operetta in Russia began with the production of beautiful Elena Offenbach (1868, Alexandrinsky Theatre). From 1870, independent operetta troupes arose, which staged mainly works by French and Austrian composers.
An entrepreneur, director and actor V. Lentovsky played a significant role in the formation and development of the stage operetta in Russia. In 1878 he organized an operetta entreprise in the Hermitage summer garden in Moscow, a theater with a large orchestra, choir and ballet. The performances combined bright pomp of design with high vocal and musical culture and convincing acting. His performances were very popular with both the general public and artists. The Lentovsky Theater had a significant influence on the young K. Stanislavsky, his passion for theater began with an operetta.
Following the Lentovsky theater, operetta troupes appeared in St. Petersburg (the most famous in the 19th century were the Palace Theater and Summer Buff) and in the Russian provinces. The development of operetta in Russia at that time was associated with the names of such actors as A. Blumenthal-Tamarin, A. Bryansky, K. Grekov, A. Koshevsky, N. Monakhov, I. Vavich, V. Piontkovskaya, V. Shuvalova, E. Potopchin and others.
Russian composers at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. also sometimes turned to the operetta, but these were only isolated attempts. So, for example, in 1913 A. Glazunov, who at that time was the rector of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, called the first Russian operetta a work written by an Azerbaijani student of the Conservatory U. Gadzhibekov Arshin mal alan. In general, the national operetta in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. was in its infancy.
An important stage in the development of the operetta theater in Russia took place in the 1920s. This was reflected in the New Economic Policy (NEP), adopted in 1921 by the Soviet government. Wealthy people reappeared in Russia, thirsting for entertainment. Under these conditions, the operetta genre became extremely popular. The basis of the performances was still not Russian, but classical operetta - most often French, but well-known Russian directors turned to its productions. V. Nemirovich-Danchenko in the Musical Studio of the Moscow Art Theater staged Daughter of Madame Ango Lecoq (1920) and perichole Offenbach, M. Tairov in the Chamber Theater - Zhirofle-Zhiroflya(1922) and Day and night(1926) Lecoq. The extreme popularity of the genre was reflected in the state cultural policy: in the late 1920s, state operetta theaters were opened one after another. The first of these was the Khabarovsk Theater in 1926 (it was also called the Comic Opera Theatre), then the Moscow Operetta Theater (1927), the Leningrad Musical Comedy Theater (1929), as well as theaters in Sverdlovsk, Voronezh, Ivanov, Kharkov, Kyiv, Rostov -on-Don and other cities. However, the state cultural policy demanded a different, "non-bourgeois" repertoire; Soviet composers were given the task of creating a new operetta with new characters and new content.
Composers N. Strelnikov and I. Dunaevsky are considered the founders of the Soviet operetta.
In developing his operettas, Strelnikov mainly followed the traditions of the Viennese school - both in music and in storylines, creating original buff melodramas. His most famous operetta is Kholopka(1929) similar in storyline and musical structure circus princess Kalman.
Dunaevsky, in fact, revolutionized the genre, organically combining entertainment and ideological lines in the operetta. His first operettas Both ours and yours(1924), Prime Minister's career(1925) were close to vaudeville, the next one, suitors(1927), marked a turn towards a new, Soviet operetta style. It had a pronounced satirical and parodic orientation, ridiculing the negative characters traditional for that time - Nepmen and townsfolk, and parodying the neo-Viennese operetta (in particular, merry widow Lehar). In operetta Knives(1928) the satirical line was supplemented by a lyrical one and the depiction of new goodies. An innovative technique was the use by Dunayevsky in the operetta of a mass song, often pathos and even propaganda, which later became one of the most important expressive means of the musical dramaturgy of the Soviet operetta. The most famous operettas by Dunayevsky are built on these principles - golden valley(1937), Free wind(1947), white locust(1955). Dunayevsky's talent as a composer made his music popular among the people: perhaps the apotheosis of his creative method was the song Wide is my native land, first performed in 1936 in the filmed musical comedy The circus- essentially an operetta.
Emotionality, humor, entertainment, combined with social optimism, made the Soviet operetta one of the most popular genres of theatrical art.
A major event in the history of the genre was the appearance in 1937 of the operetta Wedding in Malinovka B. Alexandrov, dedicated to the civil war in Ukraine. This operetta was widely staged until the early 1990s.
During the Great Patriotic War, works on a patriotic theme appeared in the repertoire of Soviet operetta theaters: Girl from Barcelona Alexandrova (1942), The sea spread wide Krutz, Mincha and Vitlin (1942, revised G. Sviridova – 1943), tobacco captain(1944) and others. The Leningrad Theater of Musical Comedy worked in the besieged city throughout the blockade, helping Leningraders survive with their art.
After the war, new names of composers appeared among the authors of the operetta: Y. Milyutin ( Girl Rush, Trembita, Chanita's Kiss), V.Soloviev-Sedoy ( most cherished), T. Khrennikov ( One hundred devils and one girl), D.Kabalevsky ( Spring sings), K. Listov ( Sevastopol waltz). The recognized masters of the genre continue to work actively: Dunaevsky ( Free wind, white locust), Sviridov ( lights). The great D. Shostakovich also paid tribute to the operetta - Moscow, Cheryomushki(1959).
G. Yaron, N. Bravin, T. Bakh, K. Novikova, Yu. Alekseev, Z. Belaya, A. Feona, V. Kandelaki, T. Shmyga, N. Yanet, G.Ots, L.Amarfiy, V.Bateyko, M.Rostovtsev, G.Korchagina-Aleksandrovskaya, G.Vasiliev, J.Zherder, Z.Vinogradova, B.Smolkin and many others. others
Around the mid-1960s, the clearly defined boundaries of the operetta genre began to gradually blur. Enriching the palette of their expressive means, theaters, along with classical operetta, began to turn to musical works of other genres - rock opera, musical. Such a process of genre integration is characteristic not only of Russia, but characterizes the development of theatrical and musical art throughout the world.
Tatyana Shabalina
Agree, the question: "What is an operetta?" at least once in a lifetime it occurred to any person, and everyone found their own answer. Let's dive into this fascinating topic.
operetta is special genre theatrical art. It can be defined as a musical performance 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 character, 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. The love or tragic plot was not only musical, but also meaningful in relation to the dances and the production itself.
Little Miracle - operetta
As a separate theatrical genre, the 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 originated and received its further development.
Jacques Offenbach is considered to be the founder of the operetta. It's outstanding German descent who dedicated most 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 waltz sounds, and the form of performances is more sentimental, romantic than comedic.
Operetta in Europe
The era of the French operetta was marked by creative flourishing such a bright personality as Jacques Offenbach. They were opened small theater on the Champs Elysees ("Bouffe Parisien"), where such great works as "Two Blind", "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 are the comic opera Trial by Jury, dedicated to the issue breaking a marriage promise. It was followed by an essay of 13 more joint works all of them were great successes.
Of particular interest is the operetta. Here it is impossible to ignore such significant figure as Johann Strauss (son). It is with the name of this brilliant man, his talent is associated Musical Theatre cultural capital Europe. With the genre of operetta outstanding composer already met 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 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 “The Bat”.
Operetta in Russia
If we talk about our country, then the genre of operetta for a long time was not recognized 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 the other hand, the productions themselves were carried out 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 magnificent 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 Soviet period. I. Dunayevsky and N. Strelnikov are considered to be its founders. The operetta of this period 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 learn 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. You can look at and learn about each of them endlessly, but we will touch on the holy of holies - the operetta theater.
In our country, the most famous stage of a small opera is located in Moscow. Productions of this theater house preserve classical traditions in presentation and at the same time welcome a modern approach to their creation. Directors tend to choose old good performances, and at the same time skillfully use in working on them modern language, new techniques in the presentation of material and the latest technical innovations in the provision of light and sound. Thanks to the brilliant work of the directors and the amazing cast, today occupies a leading position in Russia, and also enjoys great prestige in European countries.
The best operettas
Perhaps to the best works one can easily attribute those that are staged and shown on the most famous stages of the world: Viennese, French, Russian. Among them are such wonderful operettas as Die Fledermaus and The Gypsy Baron by Johann Strauss Jr., famous works Imre Kalman "Mr. X", "Silva", "La Bayadere"; the operettas of the unsurpassed Jacques Offenbach Pericola and La Belle Elena; the unforgettable creations of Ferenc Lehar "The Merry Widow", "Gypsy Love", the sparkling production of Louis Varnet's "Fanfan Tulip".
These and other wonderful works are known and loved in many countries. Spectators are happy to go to performances with their whole families, because the classics at all times have touched the souls of representatives of various generations.
In a nutshell about the main
It should be noted that operetta is a genre that, like literary works, is perceived differently at each age. 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 performances share the same story.
AT recent times 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.
The word "operetta" literally means "little opera". Indeed, the operetta originated "in the bowels" of the opera genre.
From the very beginning of her existence, she got used to painting the high passions of ancient and biblical heroes, historical figures and similar characters - in a word, something grandiose, sublime and far from ordinary mortals with their "petty passions" ... but mere mortals were sitting in the hall, and sometimes they wanted to see something closer "to the earth", something closer and more understandable. That is why, next to such an opera - which in Italy was called opera seria (serious opera), in France - grand opera (grand opera) - there was a comic opera, which grew out of interludes that were played between acts of a large opera: opera buffa in France, opera-comic in Italy, Singspiel in Austria and Germany.
And of course, this opera in its own way expressive means differed from its "older sister" - first of all, it concerned recitative (musical "declamation" connecting arias, duets, choirs and other musical numbers). In the Italian opera buffa, this was the so-called. recitative secco (literally - dry recitative): fast "talk", supported only by the harpsichord (while in the opera seria the recitative was quite melodious). And the Austrians and French went even further: in their singspiel and opera, the comedian did not sing at all between musical numbers, but spoke (as in a dramatic performance). This is how W. A. Mozart's "Magic Flute" and J. Bizet's "Carmen" were written... you can object that you have heard this opera with recitatives. Yes, in the end, they began to perform it like that - but the recitatives were added later, and J. Bizet himself wrote it with spoken dialogues (and now some theaters are returning to this edition) - in the genre of comic opera! Of course, not because I considered this story funny - just at that time the dramas and tragedies from life ordinary people(not gods, not heroes, not kings) were just gaining "citizenship rights" to opera stage– and there was simply no other suitable genre.
But time passed - the audience changed, the theater changed. The opera was paying more and more attention to little man” with its sorrows and joys - and the new plots were too crowded within the framework of the opera-comic, new opera genres arose ...
But after all, it’s not all the same to demonstrate to the public the harsh truth of life - you also need to laugh and relax! And why "reinvent the wheel" if there is a proven system of means for comedy! This is how the operetta was born, inheriting the main features of the French comic opera: a comedy plot and conversational dialogues, alternating with musical numbers.
The "father" of the operetta is rightfully considered French composer Jacques Offenbach. In 1855, he created in Paris on the Champs Elysees a small theater "Buff-Parisien". Initially, there were one-act plays with only 4 characters, but in 1858 the restrictions were lifted - and the first "full-fledged" operetta was staged ... it is noteworthy that the history of the operetta began with the same plot as the history of the opera - with the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice ... however, the old plot looked very original: Eurydice hates the music of Orpheus and has an affair with the god Pluto, to whom she fled to the kingdom of the dead, Orpheus is in no hurry to rescue her from there - he himself has an affair with a beautiful shepherdess - and only under pressure Public Opinion(there is such a character there!) agrees to do it... in general, the operetta began with a parody.
And the parody firmly entered its "laws of the genre": next to lyrical heroes there is always a comic couple in the operetta: next to Edwin and Silva - Bonnie and Stasi (Silva), next to Rene and Angel - Armand and Juliette (Count of Luxembourg) ...
But even though the operetta was born in France, nevertheless, first of all, speaking about it, we remember the Austrians I. Strauss and F. Lehar and the Hungarian I. Kalman. I. Strauss wrote more than 10 operettas, but The Gypsy Baron and, of course, The Bat, the latter became a frequent guest not only on theater stage, it was filmed more than 20 times. But, of course, we are closest to the brilliant film adaptation of Jan Frid (1971) - with the participation of Vitaly and Yuri Solomin ... and it doesn’t matter that the plot is slightly changed - the main thing remains the same: a fun mess with dressing up at the ball, but in the end - “ everything ended happily, to everyone's consent "...
By the way, this is not the first case when the plot of a classical operetta was changed during translation into Russian - this happened with I. Kalman's operetta "Princess of the Circus". In the original, the action takes place ... in Russia - and that is why some moments of the libretto can make the Russian audience laugh - but not at all where the author intended: the circus director has a surname ... Stanislavsky, the heroine's name is Fedora Palinskaya (it would be hard to find in Russia a countess with that name!), and Mr. X is introduced to her as Prince Kirasov ... in order to eliminate such a “spreading cranberry”, the action was transferred to Vienna, Fyodor Palinskaya became Theodora Verdier, all other names also had to be changed ... By the way, the Russian character of the Strauss " bat"- Prince Orlovsky - does not look in the best way: a grotesque type, nothing resembling a Russian aristocrat ... in a word, it was not for the Hungarians and the Austrians to write about Russia. Did we have our own operetta?
Until the 20th century, there were practically no (single unsuccessful attempts at the turn of the century do not count), although foreign operettas were staged, and the public loved them.
The history of Russian operetta begins with the composer N. Strelnikov. However, his operettas were in fact an imitation of Western models (for example, his "Servant" (1929) in many ways resembles "Princess of the Circus"). But who firmly “put” the operetta genre on Russian soil is I. Dunaevsky. We know him as the author of the Soviet mass song - and he brought this beginning to the operetta, but the plot turned out to be focused on satire, the objects of which were traditional for that time: the townsfolk, the Nepmen ... Of course, in this form, the operetta could not but touch the Soviet audience! And the public fell in love with the operettas of I. Dunayevsky - "White Acacia", "Free Wind" - no less than Alexandrov's comedies with the music of this composer (by the way, very close to them in terms of aesthetic principles).
Subsequently, many domestic composers turned to the genre of operetta: “Wedding in Malinovka” (B. Aleksandrov), “Tobacco Captain” (Shcherbachev), “Trembita” (Yu. Milyutin) ... all of them cannot be listed. Many operettas - both ours and foreign ones - were filmed, becoming real classics domestic cinema(suffice it to name the film so beloved by the audience " Hussar ballad"- this is nothing more than a film adaptation of T. Khrennikov's operetta "A long time ago").
And of course, the operetta does not leave the stage! Any musical theater, along with operas and ballets, does not forget about operetta - but there are theaters that “specialize” in this genre: the Moscow Operetta State Academic Theater, the St. Petersburg Theater of Musical Comedy, the Stavropol State Regional Operetta Theater ...
And the performances always draw full houses. And no wonder: nothing will distract you from the gray everyday life, will not cheer you up, like the melodies of an operetta sparkling with fun!
