Operetta is a type of musical theater that achieved its greatest popularity from the 1850’s to about 1920. Unlike a typical serious opera, operetta contains spoken dialogue instead of sung dialogue and fairly simple, straight-forward songs instead of complex arias. An operetta overture is often a medley of tunes from the show rather than a separate composition, as in opera.
Operettas generally are composed in an uncomplicated and popular style. The music is easy to perform and to understand. The plots of most operettas are romantic, sentimental, or satirical. They often involve confusion over mistaken identities and have happy endings, frequently with a moral. Most operettas also feature dances and choruses.
Operettas developed from French comic opera. Several national schools of operetta developed, beginning with the French school. The first masterpieces in the form were written by Jacques Offenbach, a German-born French composer. His major works include Orpheus in the Underworld (1858), La Belle Helene (1864), and La Perichole (1868).
The Austrian composer Franz von Suppe was the first composer of Viennese-style operettas, beginning in the 1860’s. This musical style is based on dance forms, especially the waltz. The settings are also more exotic than those of French operettas.
The master of the Viennese school was Johann Strauss, Jr. His operetta Die Fledermaus (1874) is the greatest example of the Viennese school. Romantic Viennese operettas dominated the form in the early 1900’s with such works as The Merry Widow (1905) by Franz Lehár.
English composers were greatly influenced by both French and Viennese operetta. By the 1870’s, the team of Sir William Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan had developed an English style in such humorous and satirical works as H.M.S. Pinafore (1878) and The Mikado (1885).
Operettas were extremely popular in the United States, with French, Viennese, and English works receiving numerous productions. By the 1890’s, American composers began writing successful operettas. The principal composers included Reginald de Koven, Rudolf Friml, Victor Herbert, Sigmund Romberg, and John Philip Sousa.
