Page 221 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2021. Opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama ▪︎ Operetta between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 5
P. 221
oper ettas staged by the slovak national theatr e dur ing the years 1920–1938
However, despite these tough conditions, and despite the fact that the
young singers could not sing in operas and follow their own ideas, perform-
ing in the operettas enabled them to progress significantly in terms of agili-
ty and acting. According to Janko Blaho, a renowned Slovak tenor active in
theatre from 1927, the conditions outline above, along with Drašar’s abili-
ty to recognise talent and perspective in young artists, led many of them to
become professional actors and singers.18
The sentiments against Drašar culminated in a demonstration at the
time of the premiere of Abraham’s operetta Ball at the Savoy (29/04/1933).
This event, which had an anti-Czech and anti-Hungarian character and
in which mainly students participated, was so tumultuous that the show
had to be discontinued, despite an intervention by the police. Alexander
M oyzes, a young composer, and reviewer of cultural life, reported on this
event and on the situation of the theatre in Bratislava in the art and litera-
ture magazine Elán as follows:
The Bratislava audience got a glimpse of the mysteries and beau
ties of the new art and wants the same as the audience has in Vi
enna and Prague. The late Oskar Nedbal allowed some delicacy, by
Strauss or himself, only here and there, Kálmán also got a chance
here and there, but it was always rendered very nobly. Drašar’s new
regime keeps throwing these delicacies in handfuls. It is under
standable that, due to their inadequate and superficial education
in theatrical matters, our audience throws itself into the embrace
of a crippled muse with passion. What to say then when ten times
fewer people come for the première of an opera than for the 20th
repeat of an operetta? Our nice youth wants entertainment, and
they get it by the operetta shows of the Slovak National Theatre.
How terrible that demonstration against Hungarian operettas was
– and, at the same time, we do not see the same youth no longer en
joying operettas which are sometimes even more Hungarian than
the one they booed. It is a tough nut how to solve the problems of
the opera in the Slovak National Theatre, which is, as of now, the
least sought-after element of our theatre and brightens only with
very costly guests from abroad. The fault is on both sides: the thea
tre management as well as the audience. Drašar is an entrepreneur
of the theatre for which he receives subvention from the state, the
country, and the city of Bratislava. He should not have given such
18 Janko Blaho, Zo skalického rínku (Bratislava: Tatran 1974), 156–8.
219
However, despite these tough conditions, and despite the fact that the
young singers could not sing in operas and follow their own ideas, perform-
ing in the operettas enabled them to progress significantly in terms of agili-
ty and acting. According to Janko Blaho, a renowned Slovak tenor active in
theatre from 1927, the conditions outline above, along with Drašar’s abili-
ty to recognise talent and perspective in young artists, led many of them to
become professional actors and singers.18
The sentiments against Drašar culminated in a demonstration at the
time of the premiere of Abraham’s operetta Ball at the Savoy (29/04/1933).
This event, which had an anti-Czech and anti-Hungarian character and
in which mainly students participated, was so tumultuous that the show
had to be discontinued, despite an intervention by the police. Alexander
M oyzes, a young composer, and reviewer of cultural life, reported on this
event and on the situation of the theatre in Bratislava in the art and litera-
ture magazine Elán as follows:
The Bratislava audience got a glimpse of the mysteries and beau
ties of the new art and wants the same as the audience has in Vi
enna and Prague. The late Oskar Nedbal allowed some delicacy, by
Strauss or himself, only here and there, Kálmán also got a chance
here and there, but it was always rendered very nobly. Drašar’s new
regime keeps throwing these delicacies in handfuls. It is under
standable that, due to their inadequate and superficial education
in theatrical matters, our audience throws itself into the embrace
of a crippled muse with passion. What to say then when ten times
fewer people come for the première of an opera than for the 20th
repeat of an operetta? Our nice youth wants entertainment, and
they get it by the operetta shows of the Slovak National Theatre.
How terrible that demonstration against Hungarian operettas was
– and, at the same time, we do not see the same youth no longer en
joying operettas which are sometimes even more Hungarian than
the one they booed. It is a tough nut how to solve the problems of
the opera in the Slovak National Theatre, which is, as of now, the
least sought-after element of our theatre and brightens only with
very costly guests from abroad. The fault is on both sides: the thea
tre management as well as the audience. Drašar is an entrepreneur
of the theatre for which he receives subvention from the state, the
country, and the city of Bratislava. He should not have given such
18 Janko Blaho, Zo skalického rínku (Bratislava: Tatran 1974), 156–8.
219
