VIENNESE OPERETTA

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 11

VIENNESE OPERETTA

SPHERE is no doubt (says an English writer) that the Viennese operetta has reached a critical point in its century-old development. The state of the Viennese operetta, perhaps of purely historical interest for the outsider, has for Vienna itself a truly vital significance. For it means to the Viennese not merely a type of stage entertainment, but. an essential part of Viennese culture. It is the Viennese operetta which most clearly expresses Vienna’s popular character. In order to give the reader an idea of the' economic power wielded by the Viennese operetta I need onty point out that Vienna had until recently no less than half a dozen operetta theatres, half a dozen publishers of operettas, and a considerable army of operetta singers, musicians, and composers. The Viennese operetta is also one of the most important articles produced by Austria for export abroad. These indications alone show that the demise of the operetta must necessarily involve Vienna in disastrous consequences.

The Viennese operetta is very old. Its origin may be traced back to the early 18th century. Otto Keller tells us that the name of Operette was already current in Vienna as early as 1730, and that oven before that date Viennese operettas by Josef Anton Stranitzky were performed at the Kart-nc-rtor Theatre. These ancestors of the present-day Viennese operetta tended sometimes in the direction of parody and satire, an element which is still present in some operettas of to-dav and sometimes they were dominated by romanticism and had a fairly tale character which is absent from the later example's.

The musical historian will be interested to know that the Viennese operetta has an illustrious forefather in the person of Joseph Haydn, who not only himself wrote an operetta, Dor _ neuo krumme Teufel, the music of "which is unfortunately lost, but who, according

PENETRATED BY JAZZ

to the latest researches, was also in • the years of his youth the anonymous composer of many an operetta supposed to be by one or another of his contemporaries. During its most brilliant period the j Viennese operetta was represented by Franz von Suppc, Karl Milloeeker, and Johann Strauss the younger. After the extinction of the * Suppe-Molloecker- <r Strauss constellafTon the heaven of Viennese operetta was traversed by a swarm of less brilliant stars, such as Richard Genee, Zeller, Adolf Muller, jun., Richard Heubcrgcr, and C. M. Zichrer. This went on until suddenly, just before the European War, a new florescence seemed to appear with the well-known names of Franz Lehar, Leo Fail, Ed. Evsler. Emmerich Kalman, Ofkar Strauss, Bruno Granichstaedten, asd Robert Stolz. These composers, too, achieved, and are still achieving enormous successes, many of their operettas reaching the number of 10,000 performances. But their work in its fundamental t.ype is worlds apart from , the classical Viennese operettas. The species in their hands becomes false, sc ntiinental, and arid. The characterisation of persons and situations is no longer deemed worthy of attention. The greatest perii that threatens the Viennese operetta is American dance music. Jazz has penetrated it and distorted its features. Negro rhythms whirl up and dancing becomes the chief attraction. Expressions, mood painting. developed orchestral movements, and musical illustration of the scenic action are considered superfluous. Another danger is that of the revue. This type of entertainment disintegrate." action into seperate scenes which have bur the. vaguest connection with each other. The war has also affected Viennese operetta. In spite of all this, it is as vet too early to say that it is in its death-throes. That it is. passing through a crisis is undeniable; but it may yet regain its vigour, if it will oi'ce again look to the tradition of the old Viennese operetta -for its models.