JUST LEGALLY LIGHT-HEARTED
Operetta emerged in the 1850s as a kind of “opera light” with a focus on silly comedy plots and naughty staging that appealed to a wide audience. Light, popular entertainment with high spirits and fast pace, which serious opera aficionados tend to frown upon.
ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD
French composer Jacques Offenbach “invented” the operetta with Orpheus in the Underworld from 1858, which is a crazy and hilarious retelling of the ancient myth of Orpheus, who must bring his wife home from the realm of the dead. I bet you know the music from the completely unrestrained can-can finale.
THE BAT
Johann Strauss’ delightful comedy of mistaken identity with lots of flirting, grand costumes and beautiful dance numbers in Vienna before the world went mad. The champagne flows, the eroticism bubbles, a masked ball gets out of hand and the chambermaid Adele’s laughter aria puts the icing on the cake.
THE MERRY WIDOW
Austrian composer Lehar’s operetta milestone The Merry Widow was transformed into a crazy stew of revue comedy, operetta hits and ingrained cultural criticism in Kasper Holten/Adam Price’s cheeky reinterpretation at the Opera. The Vilja song, retranslated as Vil Jeg, Så Vil Jeg, was a golden moment.
GILBERT & SULLIVAN
The British operetta duo Gilbert & Sullivan were behind a number of the genre’s most silly and beloved works, such as The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore, with the legendary Admiral’s Song: Because I rubbed shoulders with those who were high up, I ended up with crosses, ribbons and stars!
