This article is about the form of theatre and a genre of light opera. For the film genre, seeOperetta film. For the German film of the same name, seeOperetta (film).
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre oflight opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter thanopera 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]
"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, culturalcosmopolitanism emerged in the previous century.[8] Operetta as a genre lost favor in the 1930s and gave way to modernmusical theatre.[9] Important operetta composers includeJohann Strauss,Jacques Offenbach,Franz Lehár, andFrancisco Alonso.
The term operetta arises in the mid-eighteenth-century Italy and it is first acknowledged as an independent genre in Paris around 1850.[2]Castil-Blaze'sDictionnaire de la musique moderne claims that this term has a long history and thatMozart was one of the first people to use the word operetta, disparagingly,[7] describing operettas as "certain dramatic abortions, those miniature compositions in which one finds only cold songs and couplets from vaudeville".[10] The definition of operetta has changed over the centuries and ranges depending on each country's history with the genre.[9] It is often used to refer to pieces that resemble the one-act compositions by Offenbach in contrast with his full length compositions, 'opéra-bouffe'.[2] Offenbach invented this art form in response to the French government's oppressive laws surrounding the stagings of works that were larger than one act or contained more than four characters.[5]
Caricature d'"Hervé", le créateur de l'opéra-bouffe, par André Gill, en 1868.
All four terms refer to performances that combine music, singing, and typically dance. While these productions are often lively and upbeat, they can also feature tragic outcomes, and the comedic elements of the plot or situations are not always present.
Opéra-comique originated from the revival and adaptation of thecommedia dell’arte by French fairground performers in the 17th century, often parodying operas. The term “opéra-comique” first appeared in 1714, when a troupe at the Foire Saint-Germain was granted a royal privilege by Louis XIV on December 26, 1714, allowing them to perform in the newly established Opéra-Comique theatre. The authorized performances were described as “productions composed of music, dance, stage machinery, and decorations.” Opéra-comique reached its peak in the early 19th century. Contrary to what its name might suggest, it often deals with serious subjects, including historical or mythological themes.
Operetta, on the other hand, distinguishes itself from opéra-comique through the use of lighter music. It is not a “small opera.” Its purpose is to entertain and amuse, offering performances filled with joy and satire. Spoken and sung scenes alternate throughout the production.Camille Saint-Saëns described it as “a daughter of opéra-comique who has gone astray, though daughters who go astray are not always without charm.”
Opéra-bouffe[11] is the comic, often burlesque, variant of opera. It always deals with a humorous or lighthearted subject. While opéra-comique can address “serious” topics, as inMozart’sThe Marriage of Figaro orBizet’sCarmen, the fundamental nature of opéra-bouffe is genuinely comic and farcical.
Finally, themusical is primarily a theatrical form, combining comedy, singing, dancing, and tap. It emerged at the very beginning of the 20th century and belongs to the same family as other forms of musical theatre that had enjoyed popularity in earlier eras, including ballet, comédie-ballet, opera, opéra-bouffe, and operetta. Its widespread development originated in the United States and is distinguished from earlier singing-and-dancing performances by its use of jazz and other new popular music. The masterpieceWest Side Story, produced in 1957, is arguably the most famous and frequently performed musical in the world today. The musical as we know it in the 19th and 20th centuries was born on Broadway and remains closely associated with the United States, although it has since developed inEurope and Asia, producing major international successes such asStarmania (1979) andNotre-Dame de Paris (1998). The themes explored in musicals range from farce to drama. The termsmusical theatre,musical show, or simplymusical are commonly used as synonyms.
Operetta became recognized as a musical genre around 1850 in Paris. In 1870, the centre for operetta shifted to Vienna when Paris fell to the Prussians.[2] The form of operetta continued to evolve through theFirst World War.[2]
There are some common characteristics among operettas that flourished from the mid-1850s through the early 1900s, beginning with the Frenchopéra-bouffe.[12] They contain spoken dialogue interspersed between musical numbers, and often the principal characters, as well as the chorus, are called upon to dance, although the music is largely derived from 19th-century operatic styles, with an emphasis on singable melodies.[6] Operetta in the twentieth century is more complex and reached its pinnacle in Austria and Germany.[7]
Operetta is a precursor of the modernmusical theatre or the "musical".[13] In the early decades of the 20th century, operetta continued to exist alongside the newer musicals, with each influencing the other. The distinctive traits of operetta are found in the musical theatre works ofJerome Kern,Richard Rodgers andStephen Sondheim.[2]
Poster for Jacques Offenbach’s productionLa Vie parisienne, at its premiere in 1866. Printed by J. Chéret (Paris).
It was during theFrench Second Empire that operetta truly emerged and reached its peak withJacques Offenbach’sLa Vie parisienne, premiered in 1866. Performed worldwide, it marked the triumph of opéra-comique. However,Louis-Auguste-Florimond Ronger, known as Hervé, a flamboyant and eccentric figure, is considered the true father of operetta. Assisted by the whimsicalfr:Joseph Kelm, he created small, extravagant pieces, such asDon Quichotte et Sancho Pança in 1847, regarded as the first “operetta”. On the small stage of theFolies-Concertantes,[14] a café-concert on the Boulevard du Temple, Hervé began producing two-character operettas from 1854 onwards, includingLe Compositeur toqué,La Fine Fleur de l’Andalousie, andUn mari trompette, firmly rooted in the comic tradition. These works were relatively short, required minimal resources, and skillfully balanced both comedic and sentimental elements.
Poster for the operettaOrpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach, 1878.TheCancan from Offenbach’sOrpheus in the UnderworldFirst page of the score of the operetta La Fille de Madame Angot by Charles Lecocq, date unknown.
Jacques Offenbach quickly turned to the theatre. Initially the music director at theComédie Française, he began composing lyrical works in the hope of staging them at the Opéra-Comique, which showed no interest. His first operetta,Oyayaye ou La reine des îles, a one-act piece, was eventually performed at Hervé’s hall, theFolies-Nouvelles, on 26 June 1855. It achieved not only public success but also critical acclaim. In 1855, he opened his own theatre, theBouffes-Parisiens. Offenbach’s creations combined grand opera arias with humorous and irreverent texts and lyrics, producing a comic effect that was particularly well received by audiences. His works are often referred to as “opéras-bouffes” because they openly parody opera. In 1858, he wrote his first major work, a three-act opéra-bouffe:Orphée aux Enfers. The classical tragedy is transposed to the 19th century, set in the décor and costumes of Napoleon III’s court. He masterfully invented and developed a technique of doubling or even tripling syllables to create a comic effect.[15]
Mocking his era with brilliance and often setting his works in fanciful countries, Offenbach’s successful opéras-bouffes became classics of operetta:La belle Hélène (1864),Barbe-bleue (1866),La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (1867),La Périchole (1868), andLes brigands (1869). With his emblematic workLa Vie parisienne (1886), he openly satirized the Parisians of the flamboyant Second Empire. Gifted with an instinct for public taste, he was adept at selecting and guiding hislibrettists.[16]Ludovic Halévy andHenri Meilhac were his two most important collaborators. Seeking to encourage other artistic voices, he organized an operetta competition, which was won by two future leading figures of the genre:Charles Lecocq andGeorges Bizet.
The fall of the Second Empire following France’s defeat in 1870 marked a turning point for operetta. Charles Lecocq embodied this change, particularly with his masterpieceLa fille de Madame Angot (1872). The work is set during theFrench Directory, the post-revolutionary period characterized by plots, corruption, and coups d’état, echoing the era of the newly establishedFrench Third Republic. It is punctuated by political songs. The operetta achieved enormous success and went on to enjoy an international career. In the 1870s and 1880s, Lecocq joined Hervé and Offenbach among the leading composers of operetta. After the war, Offenbach moved away from the opéra-bouffe style and developed theopérette-féerie. Notable examples includeLe roi Carotte (1872), a six-hour-long work that enjoyed great success with more than 195 performances in Paris, andA Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune - 1875), a highly imaginative adaptation ofJules Verne’seponymous story.
Offenbach’s body of work is immense, performed worldwide, and encompasses opéras-bouffes, operettas, and opéra-comiques, many of which remain little known or forgotten. He is the most frequently performed composer of operetta in the world and continues to delight audiences. According tofr:Robert Pourvoyeur, he achieved
a perfect balance between Hervé’s buffoonery and exaggeration, the whimsical character, the slightly surreal situations in which the characters are placed—something that appeals enormously to today’s audiences.[17]
The defining features of his works—cross-dressing, deception, satire, and liberation through dance—render them lively and timeless. Two centuries later, Offenbach continues to make audiences laugh while questioning society.[18]
Poster for the premiere of Les Cloches de Corneville, 1877.
The years 1870–1914 mark the transformation of operetta into a form of light popular opera, taking audiences to picturesque or historical settings, less satirical than Offenbach and closer to opéra comique. The audience also changed: it was less bourgeois than Offenbach’s.Les Cloches de Corneville (The Bells of Corneville - 1877) byRobert Planquette exemplifies this popular operetta, achieving both massive and lasting success.[19]Louis Varney also enjoyed great triumph with his workLes mousquetaires au couvent (The Musketeers at the Convent- 1880). International success was equally remarkable, with productions staged in Italian, German, and Russian in the following years. Edmond Audran was the third major composer of this period. Many of his works captivated audiences:Le grand mogol (1877);La mascotte (The Mascot - 1880), a huge success with over 1,000 performances at the time, a famous local-themed operetta noted for its “duet of the sheep and turkeys”, performed worldwide from New York to Berlin;Gillette de Narbonne (1882);La cigale et la fourmi (1886);Miss Helyett (1890); andLa Poupée (The Doll - 1896).
Two major musicians devoted part of their careers to operetta, achieving notable success:André Messager andEmmanuel Chabrier.Le Roi malgré lui (The King in Spite of Himself orThe Reluctant King - 1887), Chabrier’s only opéra-comique, represents a milestone in the history of operetta, featuring the celebratedDanse slave. By the same composer,L'Étoile (1877), an opéra-bouffe in the style of Offenbach, is considered a model of operetta for its musical inventiveness.[20] Messager succeeded in bringing operetta to its highest level withFrançois les bas-bleus (1883) and then with shorter operettas that seemed to concentrate all his artistry:Les P'tites Michu (The Little Michus - 1897), which achieved global success, andVéronique (1898), followed by fifty years of performances in France. Around 1900, a new composer emerged in the buffoonish Offenbachian tradition:Claude Terrasse, who enjoyed distorting myths and historical themes, as inLes Travaux d'Hercule (1901), where Hercules is a ridiculous hero who achieves nothing, and inAu temps des croisades (1902),Monsieur de la Palisse (1904), andPâris ou le Bon Juge (1906). He was also one of the creators ofAlfred Jarry’sUbu Roi. Many other composers added their contributions to the operettas of the Belle Époque, includingLouis Ganne and hisLes Saltimbanques (The Acrobats), a major success of 1899.
Hervé was a singer, composer, librettist, conductor, and scene painter. In 1842, he wrote the one actopérette,L'Ours et le pacha, based on the popularvaudeville byEugène Scribe andX. B. Saintine. In 1848, Hervé made his first notable appearance on the Parisian stage, withDon Quichotte et Sancho Pança (afterCervantes), which can be considered the starting point for the new French musical theatre tradition. Hervé's most famous works are theGounod parodyLe petit Faust (1869) andMam'zelle Nitouche (1883).[21]
Jacques Offenbach is most responsible for the development and popularization of operetta—also calledopéras bouffes oropérettes—giving it its enormous vogue during theSecond Empire and afterwards.[6] In 1849, Offenbach obtained permission to open the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, a theatre company that offered programs of two or three satirical one-act sketches. The company was so successful that it led to the elongation of these sketches into an evening's duration.[6] However, Offenbach's productions were bound by the police prefecture in Paris, which specified the type of performance that would be allowed: "pantomimes with at most five performers, one-act comic musical dialogues for two to three actors, and dance routines with no more than five dancers; choruses were strictly forbidden."[10] These rules defined what came to be defined as operetta: "a small unpretentious operatic work that had no tragic implications and was designed to entertain the public".[10] Two other French composers,Robert Planquette andCharles Lecocq, followed Offenbach's model and wrote the operettasLes Cloches de Corneville (The Bells of Normandy) andLa Fille de Madame Angot (The Daughter of Madame Angot).[22] The two operettas were considered a major hit.
One of the most well-known operettas of famousHungarian playwrightEmmerich Kálmán is the Csárdáskirálynő ("Czardas Queen"). It was played atBroadway, by the name 'Riviera Girl'.
The political limitations placed on Offenbach and Parisian theatre were gradually lifted, and operetta gained wide popularity. While Offenbach's earliest one-act pieces includedLes deux aveugles,Le violoneux andBa-ta-clan (all 1855) did well, his first full-length operetta,Orphée aux enfers (1858), was by far the most successful. It became the first repertory operetta and was staged hundreds of times across Europe and beyond.[10] Offenbach's legacy is seen in operettas throughout the late 19th century and beyond by encouragingStrauss the Younger to bring the genre to Austria-Hungary. Offenbach also traveled to the US and England educating musicians on the more than 100 operettas he wrote during his lifetime.[23] This international travel resulted in the appearance of strong national schools in both nations.[24] By the 1870s, however, Offenbach's popularity declined. The public showed more interest in romantic operettas that showed the "grace and refinement" of the late Romantic period. This includedMessager's operettaVéronique andLouis Ganne'sLes saltimbanques. The 20th century found French operetta even more out of favor as the international public turned to Anglo-American and Viennese operettas, which continued to develop the art form into the late Romantic era.
Offenbach was unabashed about spreading operetta around the continent. In 1861, he staged some of his recent works at theCarltheater inVienna, which paved the way for Austrian and German composers. Soon, Vienna became the epicenter of operetta productions.[10] It is because of the Viennese operetta, not the French, that the term is used to describe a full-length work.[6] Additionally, after thePrussian defeat in 1866, operetta became the sign of a new age in Austria, marked by modernity and industrialization.[25]
The most significant composer of operetta in theGerman language was the AustrianJohann Strauss II (1825–1899). Strauss was recruited from the dance hall and introduced a distinct Viennese style to the genre.[6] Strauss was highly influenced by the work of Offenbach, so much so that he collaborated with many of Offenbach's librettists for his most popular works.[5] His operetta,Die Fledermaus (1874), became the most performed operetta in the world, and remains his most popular stage work. In all, Strauss wrote 16 operettas and one opera, most with great success when first premiered.[6]
Strauss's satire was often generic, unlike Offenbach who commented on real-life matters.[5]
Strauss's operettas, waltzes, polkas, and marches often have a stronglyViennese style, and his popularity causes many to think of him as the national composer of Austria. TheTheater an der Wien never failed to draw huge crowds when his stage works were first performed. After many of the numbers the audience would call noisily for encores.
Franz von Suppé, also known as Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo, Cavaliere Suppé-Demelli, was born in 1819 and his fame rivals that of Offenbach. Suppé was a leading composer and conductor in Vienna and most known for his operettaLeichte Kavallerie (1866),Fatinitza (1876), andBoccaccio (1879).[26] Suppé was a contemporary to Strauss and composed over 30 operettas 180 farces, ballets and other stage works. Recently, though most of his works have been fallen into obscurity, many of them have been reprised within films, cartoons, advertisements and so on. Both Strauss and Suppé are considered to be the most notable composers of the Golden Age of Viennese operetta.[27]
Following the death of Johann Strauss and his contemporary,Franz von Suppé,Franz Lehár was the heir apparent. Lehar is widely considered the leading operetta composer of the 20th century and his most successful operetta,Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), is one of the classic operettas still in repertory.[28]
Lehár assisted in leading operetta into the Silver Age of Viennese Operetta. During this time, Viennese Censorship laws were changed in 1919.[29] Lehár is most responsible for giving the genre renewed vitality. Studying at the Prague Conservatory Lehár began as a theatre violinist and then took off as a composer in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During this 1905, Lehár'sDie lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow) paved a pathway for composers such asFall,Oscar Straus, andKálmán to continue the tradition of Operetta. Lehár was also one of the first composers who began to incorporate into film.[2[broken anchor]]
German caricature (from the journalDie Bombe) depicting the premiere of Die Fledermaus (The Bat) in 1874.The “King Champagne” from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II.Franz von Suppé, hand-colored wood engraving, 1881.
From 1850 onwards, this art form developed in Austria, alongside French creations, resulting in operettas imbued with a much more romantic character.Die Fledermaus (The Bat), premiered in 1874 inVienna, remains the reference masterpiece of Austrian operetta, the work of composerJohann Strauss II. Musicalvaudevilles and popular opéra-comiques were already widespread throughout Europe, but it wasFranz von Suppé, in a sense the “Austrian Hervé,” who emerged as the precursor of the operetta, inspired by the great successes of Offenbach’s opéra-bouffes in Vienna. He captured the public’s imagination in 1865 with his workDie schöne Galathée, in which mythological characters are placed in domestic scenes—a work largely influenced by the style and rhythm of Offenbach’sLa Belle Hélène while retaining Viennese features such as student choruses and waltzes. Another of his major successes isBoccaccio, which toured worldwide and continues to be performed regularly.[30]
It was at theTheater an der Wien, the preferred venue for operettas and the Viennese equivalent of the Bouffes-Parisiens in Paris, thatDie Fledermaus[31] by Johann Strauss II was performed. As withLa Belle Hélène, the work is influenced by a French original. It enjoyed immense success in the German-speaking countries before being fully appreciated in Austria and even inspired a French adaptation in 1909. The second act, in particular, lends itself to improvisation and playful variations, and the operetta was traditionally performed in Austria for New Year’s Eve for many years. These works often reflect the cultural richness and colors of theAustro-Hungarian Empire, both in music and in costume.Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron), premiered in 1885, is Strauss’s most popular work, his second greatest success, and a significant musical bridge between Austria and Hungary. The story, based on a Hungarian novella, is set in the region of Timișoara (then part of Hungary). Strauss, in turn, inspired many young composers, some of whom achieved notable success, such asCarl Joseph Millöcker, who composed more than thirty operettas between 1845 and 1895. Alongside Johann Strauss II and Franz von Suppé, Millöcker remained one of the leading composers of Viennese operetta of the period. He is particularly known for his major workDer Bettelstudent (The Beggar Student), premiered in 1882.
While developing and refining their own styles, Viennese operettas frequently drew on French precedents, as evidenced by Millöcker’sGräfin Dubarry (The Countess of Dubarry), performed in 1879. The era of these three composers (1874–1899) is often referred to as the “first Viennese period” or the “golden age of operetta”.[32] The waltz is omnipresent, while popular choruses and romantic duets form the pillars of Viennese operetta.[33]
Viennese operetta from 1900 to the interwar period
It wasFranz Lehár, a composer of Hungarian origin, who dominated this period with his works, most notablyThe Merry Window (The Merry Window), premiered in 1905 at theTheater an der Wien. The operetta is adapted from a comedy by Henri Meilhac, Offenbach’s librettist, with a libretto byVictor Léon andLeo Stein.
Portrait of Franz Lehár, c. 1920.
The work achieved immediate and enormous success worldwide. It remains Lehár’s best-known composition and was performed more than 300,000 times between its premiere and the composer’s death in 1948. Slow, gentle waltzes characterize the works of Viennese composers after 1900. Gypsy themes and tableaux are also frequently employed in Viennese operettas of this period, as inZigeunerliebe (Gipsy Love - 1910). Leading Austrian artists such asRichard Tauber, as well as French singers, performed in Lehár’s works; thusNinon Vallin andAndré Baugé sang the principal roles inDer Graf von Luxemburg (The Count of Luxembourg).[34]Oscar Straus, following in Lehár’s footsteps, was a Viennese musician who began his career in Berlin. Inspired by the cabarets and farces he encountered there, he started as a composer of opéra-bouffes, such asde:Die lustigen Nibelungen (1904), a parody of German heroic and Wagnerian figures and songs. He then turned to romantic operetta and composedEin Walzertraum (A Waltz Dream) in 1906.[35] This work became the second greatest international success of Viennese operetta of the period, afterThe Merry Widow.Leo Fall was the third major figure of these years. A conductor and composer, he wrote and premiered three principal works:Der fidele Bauer (The Merry Farmer) andDie Dollarprinzessin (The Dollar Princess), both in 1907, followed byMadame Pompadour, first performed in Berlin at thede:Berliner Theater in 1912.
The interwar period saw the emergence of new young talents who confirmed the continued success of operetta throughout Austria-Hungary.Emmerich Kálmán, also of Hungarian origin, achieved major success withDie Csárdásfürstin (The Csárdás Princess - 1915) andGräfin Mariza in 1921. The French adaptation was premiered at the Mulhouse Theatre in 1930 and revived in Paris at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in 1931, where it enjoyed great success. Beyond his pronounced Francophilia, expressed in several of his works,[36] Kálmán expanded his fondness for the waltz and Gypsy-inspired music through a keen interest in new musical genres such as thefoxtrot and theCharleston, which appear inDie Herzogin von Chicago (The Duchess of Chicago), premiered in Vienna in 1928. Franz Lehár returned to the forefront after the war with a series of major successes:Frasquita (1922);Paganini (1925) in Vienna;Der Zarewitsch (The Tsarevich - 1927) in Berlin;Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles - 1923); andGiuditta (1934), premiered in Vienna.
A spectacle of a different scale emerged in the 1930s: the large-scale operetta, with the creation ofIm Weissen Rößl (The White Horse Inn) in 1930, performed at Berlin’sGroßes Schauspielhaus and later adapted into French in Paris in 1932. Its creators wereRalph Benatzky andRobert Stolz, assisted by numerous other composers. Many versions were produced, and the work achieved worldwide success. Between 1948 and 1968, it was performed more than 1,700 times at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
In the same way that Vienna was the center of Austrian operetta,Berlin was the center of German operetta. Berlin operetta often had its own style, including, especially afterWorld War I, elements of jazz and other syncopated dance rhythms, a transatlantic style, and the presence of ragged marching tunes. Berlin operettas also sometimes included aspects ofburlesque,revue,farce, orcabaret.
Paul Lincke pioneered the Berlin operetta in 1899 withFrau Luna, which includes "Berliner Luft" ("Berlin Air"),[37] which became the unofficial anthem of Berlin. HisLysistrata (1902) includes the song and tune "The Glow-Worm", which remains quite popular internationally. Much later, in the 1920s and 1930s,Kurt Weill took a more extreme form of the Berlin operetta style and used it in his operas, operettas, and musicals. It is arguable that some ofKurt Weill's compositions could be considered modernist operetta.[38]
The Berlin-style operetta coexisted with more bourgeois, charming, home-loving, and nationalistic German operettas – some of which were calledVolksoperetten (folk operettas). A prime example isLeon Jessel's extremely popular 1917Schwarzwaldmädel (Black Forest Girl).[39] These bucolic, nostalgic, home-loving operettas were officially preferred over Berlin-style operettas after 1933, when the Nazis came to power and instituted theReichsmusikkammer (State Music Institute), which deprecated and banned "decadent" music like jazz and similar "foreign" musical forms. In the beginning of twenty-first century, German revival of operetta was an unforeseen theatrical development.[40]
Offenbach's influence reached England by the 1860s.Arthur Sullivan, of the Gilbert and Sullivan duo, composedCox and Box (1866) as a direct reaction to Offenbach'sLes deux aveugles (1855).[6]Gilbert and Sullivan solidified the format in England with their long-running collaboration during theVictorian era. WithW. S. Gilbert writing the libretti and Sullivan composing the music, the pair produced 14 comic operas, which were later calledSavoy Operas. Most were enormously popular in Britain, the U.S., and elsewhere. Gilbert, Sullivan, and their producerRichard D'Oyly Carte themselves call their joint workscomic operas to distinguish this family-friendly fare from the risqué French operettas of the 1850s and 1860s.[41] Their works, such asH.M.S. Pinafore,The Pirates of Penzance andThe Mikado, continue to enjoy regular performances throughout the English-speaking world.[42] While many of these operas seem to be very light-hearted, works such asThe Mikado were making political commentaries on the British government and military with one of the main topics being capital punishment which was still widely used at the time.[43]
English operetta continued into the 1890s, with works by composers such asEdward German,Ivan Caryll andSidney Jones. These quickly evolved into the lighter song-and-dance pieces known asEdwardian musical comedy. Beginning in 1907, withThe Merry Widow, many of the Viennese operettas were adapted very successfully for the English stage. To explain this phenomenon, Derek Scott writes,
In January 1908, London'sDaily Mail claimed thatThe Merry Widow had been performed 450 times in Vienna, 400 times in Berlin, 350 times in St Petersburg, 300 times in Copenhagen, and was currently playing every evening in Europe in nine languages. In the USA, five companies were presenting it, and "the rush for tickets at the New Amsterdam Theatre" was likened to "the feverish crowding round the doors of a threatened bank". Stan Czech, in his Lehár biography, claims that by 1910 it had been performed "around 18,000 times in ten languages on 154 American, 142 German, and 135 British stages".[44]
The international embrace of operetta directly correlated with the development of both theWest End in London and Broadway in New York.[44] American audiences were first introduced to operetta through Gilbert and Sullivan'sH.M.S. Pinafore in 1878.[45] American operetta composers includedVictor Herbert, whose works at the beginning of the 20th century were influenced by both Viennese operetta and Gilbert and Sullivan.[46] He was followed bySigmund Romberg andRudolph Friml. Nevertheless, American operetta largely gave way, by the end of World War I, tomusicals, such as thePrincess Theatre musicals, andrevues, followed by the musicals ofRodgers and Hart,Cole Porter,Irving Berlin and others. Another notable operetta in English isCandide byLeonard Bernstein. It was advertised as a "comic operetta."[47] Candide's score in some ways was typical for its announced genre with some waltzes, but Bernstein added the schottische, gavotte, and other dances, and also entered the opera house with the aria "Glitter and Be Gay"
Operetta was the first imported vocal genre in Italy.[48] Since the 1860s, French and Viennese composers such asOffenbach,Hervé,Suppé,Strauss Jr andLehár have significantly influenced the operatic tradition of Italy. The widespread popularity of foreign operetta in Italy reached its climax at the turn of the century, in particular with the success ofLa vedova allegra, which premiered in Milan in 1907.[48] Italian operetta composers tended to stretch the definition of an "operetta" more than other nations in order to fit the beauty of Italian Romantic opera style. An example would beGiacomo Puccini, who developed his work in the realisticverisimo style, and would compose "operettas in three acts".[49] Other notable composers of Italian operetta includeVincenzo Valente,Ruggero Leoncavallo,Pasquale Mario Costa,Pietro Mascagni,Carlo Lombardo,Enrico Toselli,Virgilio Ranzato andGiuseppe Pietri.[49]
The audiences of operetta during the 1860s and 1870s are described as rowdy and loud.[48] Operetta was considered one of the major controversies about Italian music and culture between the 1860s and the 1920s.[48] During that period, strong nationalistic undertones in Italy strived to unify its national identity. Recognizing operetta as a foreign genre, operetta was perceived as an art form that would contaminate Italian opera or illegitimately undermine its primacy on the stage.[48] It was not until the early twentieth century that Italian composers systematically engaged in writing operetta.
In 1848,fr:Baba Hârca (Baba the Old Witch) became the first operetta created in Romania, premiered on 26 December 1848 at the National Theatre in Iași by the Moldavian composer of German Saxon originro:Alexandru Flechtenmacher, who was seeking a distinctly Romanian musical style.[50] The work is a vaudeville with an unusually developed musical dimension. Baba the Witch is a popular figure from traditional Romanian folktales, credited with freezing waters and living in isolation in a cave or at the top of a tall tree; fairy tales also attribute to her a benevolent aspect. In 1882, another major success marked the birth of operetta in the country:Crai Nou (The New Moon), by the young composerCiprian Porumbescu, with a libretto byVasile Alecsandri. The work, which highlights Romanian culture and traditions in contrast to Viennese culture, displays a distinctly patriotic character at a time when Transylvania was under Austro-Hungarian rule. It is particularly renowned for its famous Viennese-style chorus and for Porumbescu’s success in integrating the Romanian folk spirit—such as theHora,Doina, peasant dances, and traditional songs—into lyrical art while combining it with Western influences.[51][52]Three other composersEduard Caudella withHarță Răzeșul (1872),George Stephănescu with Sânziana și Pepelea (1880), on a libretto byVasile Alecsandri and Scaiul bărbaților (1885), andConstantin Dimitrescu with Sergentul Cartuș (1895) and Nini (1897), were the first creators of Romanian operettas. They played a pivotal role in cultivating and establishing the Romanian public’s keen interest in this art form, a genre that has remained popular to the present day.
"Sânziana și Pepelea", Oradea, 1976.
30 October 1954 marks a milestone in Romanian creative life with the premiere of the workro:Lăsați-mă să cânt (Let Me Sing) byro:Gherase Dendrino, to a libretto by Erastia Sever, Liliana Delescu, andViorel Cosma, in which the leading role was performed by Ion Dacian. This anniversary work, written in 1953 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ciprian Porumbescu, is a celebration of his operettaCrai Nou, composed 72 years earlier in 1882. In a context of decline for operetta in Romania, the production presented on the stage of the State Operetta Theatre was an enormous success, a success undoubtedly owed in large part to its excellent cast. The work was also performed abroad, in other countries of theEastern Bloc, and its libretto was translated into German, Czech, Russian, and Hungarian.[53]
The successors of Ion Dacian continued to maintain a balance between works from the classical Austrian and Hungarian repertoires (Strauss, Lehár, Kálmán, Benatzky, etc.) and Romanian creations such asSpune inimioară, spune! (Say, My Heart, Say!, 1972) byro:Elly Roman,Mătușa mea, Faustina (My Aunt Faustina) (1973) by Liviu Cavassi and Doru Butoiescu, andRaspantia (1975) andLeonard (1976) byro:Florin Comișel. The domestic programming reflected the contributions of authors who played a significant role in Romanian operetta:ro:Gherase Dendrino (1901–1973),ro:Filaret Barbu (1903–1984),Nicolae Kirculescu (1903–1985),ro:Elly Roman (1905–1996),Alfred Mendelsohn (1910–1966),ro:Viorel Doboș (1917–1985),ro:Henry Mălineanu (1920–2000),ro:Florin Comișel (1922–1977), andro:George Grigoriu (1927–1999).[54] This approach allowed the theatre to combine an international tradition with Romanian cultural identity, sustaining public interest in the operetta genre.
In 1977, to celebrate the centenary of Romania’s independence, a special work was staged:Eternel Iubiri (Eternal Love), composed by George Grigoriu with a libretto by Constantin Florea. The premiere took place on 7 May 1977 at the State Operetta Theatre of Bucharest. The work, centered on the struggle against the Turks, aligned with the nationalist propaganda of the Communist Party, emphasizing patriotism and heroes of Romanian history. This national-communist cultural policy, which became highly visible underCeaușescu, had already been initiated in the 1960s byGheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej.[55]
The 2002–2003 season opened with a major national premiere,Fântâna Blanduziei (The Fountain of Blanduzia), created by one of the most renowned contemporary composers,Cornel Trăilescu, to a libretto by the poet and playwrightro:Aurel Storin, based on the original work (1883) by the great Romanian poetVasile Alecsandri.[56]
Lăsați-mă să cânt returned to the repertoire during the 2003–2004 season. Productions multiplied until 2005, strengthening the institution’s identity and visibility within the Romanian cultural landscape.
performer: choeur (1899)."Berliner luft".Air from the operetta “Frau Luna” byPaul Lincke, with a libretto byHeinrich Bolten-Baeckers, 2019 recording using photos and films of Berlin from the 1900s - 2 minutes and 53 seconds (youtube.com) (Discographic recordings) (in German). Berlin. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Yvonne Printemps (1929)."J'ai deux amants".Aria from the operetta “L'amour masqué”, music byAndré Messager, libretto bySacha Guitry with orchestra, 78 rpm Gramophone P.826, “Gramophone” record - 2 minutes and 41 seconds (youtube.com) (Discographic recordings). Collection Disques David Silvestre (in French). France: Gramophone. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Svetlana Varguzova (1999)."The Wind of Liberty: Pepita's Song "Chertovu dyuzhinu detishek".Aria from the operetta “Vent de Liberté” by Isaac Dunaïevski, 1999 recording, Album “Operetta, Operetta, Operetta” 1999, Moscow Operetta Theatre Orchestra - 3 minutes 10 seconds (youtube.com) (Discographic recordings) (in Russian). Moscou: JSC Firma Melodiya. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Colette Renard (1956)."Colette Renard, « Ah ! Dis donc »".Lyrics:Alexandre Breffort, music:Marguerite Monnot, in Télé-Chansons, a Télé-Luxembourg production, 1956. The song is taken from the musical comedy “Irma la Douce”, premiered on 12 November 1956 - 1 minute and 18 seconds (youtube.com) (Diffusion TV) (in French). Paris: Télé-Luxembourg. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Ion Dacian (c. 1960)."Când sărmanul tatăl meu" [When my poor father].Aria taken from the operetta “Vânzătorul de păsări” (“Der Vogelhändler”) byCarl Zeller. Album “Arii și Duete din operete”, Teatru National de Opereta Ion Dacian, Electrecord, EDC 746 - 5 minutes and 11 seconds (youtube) (Discographic recordings). collecton "Memoria Operetei" (in Romanian). Bucarest: Electrecord. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Barbara; performer: Françoise Moncey (2 December 1960)."Barbara et Françoise Moncey "Duo des tarots" [Barbara and Françoise Moncey, “Tarot Duo”].The “Duo des tarots”, excerpt from the operetta “Le Jeu des dames” by Georges Manoir and Albert Willemetz, with music by Georges Van Parys, Discorama - ORTF. This operetta was performed at the Petit Théâtre de Paris. Barbara plays the role of a cross-dressed character, Lieutenant Zephirio - 2 minutes and 39 seconds (youtube.com) (Diffusion TV) (in French). Paris: ORTF. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Nicolae Țăranu (1972)."LUCIA ROIC, NICOLAE ȚĂRANU - Filaret Barbu ANA LUGOJANA - Drag mi-e satul - Romanian Operetta" [LUCIA ROIC, NICOLAE ȚĂRANU - Filaret Barbu ANA LUGOJANA - I love my village - Romanian Operetta].Ana Lugojana by Filaret Barbu, Lucia Roic, and Nicolae Țăranu, “Drag mi-e satul de pe coastă,” Choir and Orchestra of the National Operetta Theatre, Bucharest, 1972, Bucharest – 5 minutes and 11 seconds (youtube.com) (TV broadcast) (in Romanian). Bucarest: TVR. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Cleopatra Melidoneanu soprano (1973)."CLEOPATRA MELIDONEANU - Cavassi-Butoiescu MĂTUȘA MEA, FAUSTINA".Recording of the operetta “Mătușa mea, Faustina", Cleopatra Melidoneanu soprano – Liviu Cavassi (conductor), Choir and Orchestra of the National Operetta Theatre – 4 minutes and 17 seconds (youtube.com) (Radio broadcasting) (in Romanian). Bucarest: romaniaevocis. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performers: Les Frères Jacques (1980)."Frères Jacques -Les boîtes à musique".Song “Les boîtes à musiques”, from the operetta “La Belle Arabelle” (1956), byFrères Jacques, lyrics by Francis Blanche and Marc Cab, music by Guy Lafarge and Pierre Philippe (pianist of the group until 1966), probably between 1975 and 1982. The career of Frères Jacques spanned from 1946 to 1983, with enduring success. Stage costumes were designed by theater decorator Jean-Denis Malclès – 2 minutes and 58 seconds (dailymotion.com) (TV broadcast) (in French). Paris. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Corul Conservatorului Ciprian Porumbescu (Choeur du conservatoire Ciprian Porumbescu) (1995)."Ciprian Porumbescu - Crai nou, Cor - Aria Dochitei - Hora" [Ciprian Porumbescu - “Crai nou, Chœur - Aria de Dochieta” - Hora].Aria from the operetta “Crai nou”, Orchestra of the Romanian Radio Studio and Choir of the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory, conducted by Carol Litvin, EDC 162, Romania, 2007, 1995 (1st edition) - 4 minutes and 56 seconds (youtube.com) (Discographic recordings - Ref Electrecord – EDC 162]) (in Romanian). Bucarest: Electrecord. Retrieved11 December 2025.
performer: Andrew Shore (major-général Stanley); performer: Joshua Bloom (Pirates king); performer: Claudia Boyle (Mabel) (24 June 2015)."Major-General's Song from The Pirates of Penzance - live and with lyrics!" [Air du major-général des Pirates de Penzance - en direct et avec paroles !].The tongue-twisting song “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” from the operetta “Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan, staged by Mike Leigh at the English National Opera, directed by Mike Leigh – 3 minutes and 28 seconds (youtube.com) (Video recording). Londres: English National Opera. Retrieved11 December 2025.
^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.
^abcdeSorba, Carlotta (September 2006). "The origins of the entertainment industry: the operetta in late nineteenth-century Italy".Journal of Modern Italian Studies.11 (3):282–302.doi:10.1080/13545710600806730.S2CID144059143.
^Originally called Opéra bouffon in the 17th century
The music ofL'Étoile is so vivid, expressive, and spirited that there is not a single dull moment across its three acts; for the first time, Chabrier brought a concern for harmony and orchestration to opéra-bouffes, an element that had previously been lacking in this genre, except in the works of Offenbach and Lecocq.
^Daly, Nicholas (2017-12-14). "2. Modernism, operetta, and Ruritania: Ivor Novello's Glamorous Night". In Ortolano, Scott (ed.).Popular Modernism and Its Legacies: From Pop Literature to Video Games. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.ISBN978-1-5013-2512-0.
^Garde, Ulrike; Severn, John R. (2020-10-30). "2. 1930s jazz operetta and internationalisation then and now Risks, ethics, aesthetics".Theatre and Internationalization: Perspectives from Australia, Germany, and Beyond. Routledge.ISBN978-1-000-20905-1.
^(in French)Gheorghe Firca 2006, p. 7, La Roumanie. Culture musicale au fil de l’histoire
^(in Romanian)Rosina Caterina Filimon 2019, Ciprian Porumbescu și valorificarea folclorului în creația muzical-dramatică Creation
^Inga Postolache 2023, pp. 349–350, Genres of Non-academic Musical Theater in Romania: Pages of History
^(in Romanian)Tatiana Oltean 2019, p. 79, Lăsați-mă să cânt! [Let me sing!] – a Romanian operetta by Gherase Dendrino: links between the ethical, aesthetic and political content
^Inga Postolache 2023, pp. 351–353, Genres of Non-academic Musical Theater in Romania : Pages of History
^(in French)Irina Gridan 2011, pp. 113–127, "Du communisme national au national-communisme - Réactions à la soviétisation dans la Roumanie des années 1960"
Georges Cucuel (1914).Les créateurs de l'opéra-comique français [The creators of French opéra-comique]. Les Maîtres de la musique (in French). Paris: Félix Alcan. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Raphaëlle Legrand; Nicole Wild (2002).Regards sur l'Opéra-Comique. Trois siècles de vie théâtrale [Perspectives on the Opéra-Comique: Three centuries of theatrical life]. Sciences de la Musique (in French). Paris: CNRS Éditions. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Historical page of the Paris Opéra-Comique (Chronology):Opéra-Comique."310 ans d'Histoire" [310 Years of History].opera-comique.com (Opéra-Comique) (in French). Paris. Retrieved11 December 2025. - and a short historical guide:Opéra-Comique."Petit Guide historique" [Short Historical Guide](PDF).opera-comique.com (Opéra-Comique) (in French). Paris. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Răzvan-Ioan Dincă (2010). preface.Opereta de 60 de ani [Operetta of 60 years]. By Ion Moldovan; Eugenia Mirescu (in Romanian). Bucarest: Teatrul National de Opereta Ion Dacian.
Rosina Caterina Filimon (June 2019)."Ciprian Porumbescu și valorificarea folclorului în creația muzical-dramatică" [Ciprian Porumbescu and the use of folklore in musical-dramatic creation].Conferința "Patrimoniul muzical din Republica Moldova (folclor şi creaţie componistică)" (in Romanian). Chişinău, Moldova:18–19. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Bordman, Gerald (1981)American Operetta. New York: Oxford University Press.
Clarke, Kevin (2007)Glitter and be Gay: Die authentische Operette und ihre schwulen Verehrer. Hamburg:Männerschwarm Verlag.(German)
Ganzl, Kurt (2001)The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre (3 Volumes). New York: Schirmer Books.
Goulet, Charles (1981)Sur la scène et dans la coulisse. Québec, Qc.: Ministère des Affaires culturelles.ISBN2-551-04178-3
Linhardt, Marion (2006)Residenzstadt und Metropole. Zu einer kulturellen Topographie des Wiener Unterhaltungstheaters (1858–1918). Berlin: Max Niemeyer Verlag. (German)
Traubner, Richard (1983)Operetta: A Theatrical History. Garden City, New York: Doubleday.
Viagrande, iccardo (2009) Tu che m'hai preso il cuor. Un viaggio nel mondo dell'operetta. Monza: Casa Musicale Eco. (Italian)
Filmography and Radio Broadcasts
La Chauve-souris de Johann Strauss Jr. Opéra diffusé en direct du Metropolitan Opera de New York [Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr., an opera broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera in New York].With Johann Strauss II, Austrian composer (Vienna, 1825 – Vienna, 1899), to a libretto byRichard Genée anden:Karl Haffner, revised byen:Douglas Carter Beane. The MET production sets the action in Vienna on the evening of New Year’s Eve 1899. It tells the story of the meticulously planned revenge of Dr Falke against his friend Gabriel von Eisenstein, who forced him, after a masked ball, to cross the city disguised as a bat - 3 hours 54 minutes (Radio broadcasting) (in French). France Musique / Judith Chaine. 11 January 2014. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Valses et opérettes viennoises [Viennese waltzes and operettas].Series of four recordings, each 1 hour 58 minutes long, for a total of approximately 8 hours (Radio broadcasting). Arabesque (in French). France Musique / François-Xavier Szymczak. 15 April 2019. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Episode 1/4 : Valses et opérettes viennoises (1/4) : Johann Strauss fils - on 15 April 2019.
Episode 2/4 : Valses et opérettes viennoises (2/4) : Franz Lehár - on 17 April 2019.
Episode 3/4 : Valses et opérettes viennoises (3/4) : Franz von Suppé - on 18 April 2019.
Episode 4/4 : Valses et opérettes viennoises (4/4) : Emmerich Kálmán - on 19 April 2019.
France Musique / François-Xavier Szymczak (director) (2019).Offenbach, un frétillant bicentenaire [Offenbach, a sparkling bicentenary].Series of 8 recordings of approximately 55 minutes each. “Two hundred years after his birth, Jacques Offenbach continues to delight us. Born in Cologne on 20 June 1819, this virtuoso cellist achieved early successes during the early Second Empire, such as Ba-ta-clan, which lent its name to a theatre, before thrilling Paris in 1858 with Orpheus in the Underworld, whose final Galop Infernal gave rise to the French cancan. Offenbach soared with La Belle Hélène, La Vie parisienne, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, and La Périchole, culminating in The Tales of Hoffmann, his final masterpiece. This series revisits the highlights of his career and his exuberant works.” - total duration 7 hours 24 minutes (Radio broadcasting) (in French). Retrieved11 December 2025.
Episode 1/8 : Offenbach : Orphée aux enfers ! - on 6 July 2019.
Episode 2/8 : Offenbach : La belle Hélène ! - on 13 July 2019.
Episode 3/8 : Offenbach : La Vie parisienne ! - on 20 July 2019.
Episode 4/8 : Offenbach, La Grande-duchesse de Gérolstein ! - on 27 July 2019.
Episode 5/8 : Offenbach, La Périchole ! - on 4 August 2019.
Episode 6/8 : Offenbach, Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Prologue et Acte I) ! - on 10 August 2019.
Episode 7/8 : Offenbach, Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Actes II, III et épilogue) ! - on 17 August 2019.
Episode 8/8 : Offenbach, Autres joyaux de Jacques Offenbach ! - on 25 August 2019.
Daniela Ivanov (director) (22 December 2022).Nicolae Leonard și Hariclea Darclée [Nicolae Leonard and Hariclea Darclée].Azi ne întâlnim cu două voci mari. Aflăm povestea vieții ”prințului operetei” - Nicolae Leonard și povestea premierei mondiale, la Roma, a operei Tosca, de Puccini, care a fost salvată de la dezastru de Hariclea Darclée / Today we meet two great voices. We learn the life story of the “prince of operetta” – Nicolae Leonard – and the story of the world premiere in Rome of Puccini’s opera Tosca, which was saved from disaster by Hariclea Darclée - 29 minutes (Radio broadcasting) (in Romanian). Radio România Cultural. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Laurent Lefrançois (director) (7 January 2023)."Offenbach, musicien européen" publié aux Éditions Actes Sud-Palazzetto Bru Zane [“Offenbach, musicien européen” published by Éditions Actes Sud–Palazzetto Bru Zane].Interview between Jean-Claude Yon, historian and director of studies at the EPHE, holder of the chair of contemporary performance history, and Philippe Venturini about the book. Originating from a conference held in Köln and Paris in 2019 for the bicentenary of Jacques Offenbach’s birth (1819–1880), the book comprises 29 chapters written by musicologists, historians, and specialists in theatre studies and literature. Dedicated to a musician often accused of frivolity, the book does justice to the one whom the philosopher-writer Stanislas Rzewuski hailed in 1899 as “the most charming, the most lively, the most famous, the most ironic, the most sentimental, the most whimsical of modern musicians.” Philippe Venturini – 28 minutes (Radio broadcasting) (in French). France Musique / Philippe Venturini. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Yassine Bouzar (director) (28 December 2023).La Veuve joyeuse de Franz Lehár, un tube de l'opérette viennoise, peu donnée en France [The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár, a hit of Viennese operetta, rarely performed in France].“Didier Benetti explains how Franz Lehár succeeded in restoring operetta to its former glory: ‘He elevated it, perhaps because he approached opera writing more and more. His orchestrations and melodic lines are very close to opera and require very powerful voices.’” - 9 minutes (Radio broadcasting). Au fil de l'actu (in French). France Musique / Jean-Baptiste Urbain. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Classical HD Live (director) (2024).Offenbach.17 videos from 2017 to 2024. Excerpts from various Offenbach performances staged on different venues since 2017 - 2 to 6 minutes each (Radio broadcasting) (in French). Chaîne YouTube Classical HD Live. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Complete performances or excerpts from performances (with commentary) of Offenbach during France Musique broadcasts from 2014 to 2024:
"Le roi Carotte" de Jacques Offenbach.Opera recorded on 21 December 2016 at the Opéra de Lyon - 3 hours 51 minutes (Radio broadcasting). Samedi soir à l'Opéra (in French). France Musique. 9 January 2016. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Un jeudi avec Offenbach [One thursday with Offenbach].1 hour et 29 minutes (Radio broadcasting). Allegretto (in French). France Musique / Denisa Kerschova. 30 December 2023. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Jacques Offenbach, la Périchole.25 minutes (Radio broadcasting). Disques de légende (in French). France Musique / Lionel Esparza. 8 December 2022. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Philippe petit (director) (22 December 2020).Le Voyage dans la lune d'Offenbach.25 minutes (Radio broadcasting). Mosicopolis (in French). France Musique / Anne-Charlotte Rémond. Retrieved11 December 2025.
"La Vie parisienne" de Jacques Offenbach à l'Opéra de Lyon [“La Vie parisienne” by Jacques Offenbach at the Opéra de Lyon].2 hours 29 minutes (Radio broadcasting). Les mercredis surprises (in French). France Musique. 31 December 2014. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Offenbach, duo pour violoncelles par Anne Gastinel et Xavier Phillips [Offenbach, cello duet by Anne Gastinel and Xavier Phillips].Excerpts from the album: Jacques Offenbach: 6 Duos, Anne Gastinel and Xavier Phillips - LA DOLCE VOLTA - 33 minutes (Radio broadcasting) (in French). France Musique / Charlotte Landru-Chandès. 24 April 2024. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Sophie Pichon (director) (29 June 2024).La grande histoire de l'opérette, un podcast de Benoît Duteurtre [The Great History of Operetta, a podcast by Benoît Duteurtre].Series of 7 recordings, each 1 hour 28 minutes long - “The history of a musical genre born in Paris under the Second Empire, notably with Offenbach, which would soon inspire Viennese operetta by Strauss, Lehár… and return to France until the mid-20th century. A repertoire now revitalized by a new generation of performers.” - 10 hours 26 minutes (Radio broadcasting) (in French). France Musique / Benoît Duteurtre. Retrieved11 December 2025..[1]
Episode 1/7 : Les Folies du Second Empire : Offenbach, Hervé, Lecocq...
Episode 2/7 : Johann Strauss et les premiers viennois : Strauss, Suppé, Millocker.
Fiona Moghaddam (director) (13 October 2024).Les comédies musicales contemporaines, des "objets musicaux non identifiés" [Contemporary musicals, “unidentified musical objects”].Interview - “The cult film La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz is now a musical. Musicals often draw on preexisting works, yet they are far from lacking originality. Interview with Bernard Jeannot-Guérin, lecturer in cultural studies, specialist in French musical theatre, and author of the forthcoming book La Comédie musicale française: from rock opera to urban opera.” - 6 minutes (Radio broadcasting) (in French). France Musique. Retrieved11 December 2025.
Radu Petrovici (director) (8 February 2025).Vocea Umană [Human voice].Performance staged at the National Operetta Theatre of Bucharest - 1 minute 23 seconds (Video recording) (in French). Teatrul Național de Operetă și Musical "Ion Dacian". Retrieved11 December 2025.
^The three subchapters: “2.1 The French cradle”, “2.2 Austrian operetta” and “2.3 the Belle Époque” in France are mainly inspired by episodes 1 to 4 of this podcast.
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