Page 337 - 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
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111111111111111111999999999999999999999333333223323322222122945378682760194520931/////////////////////433333223233332222222064589977381250361042oper etta between the two wor ld wars at the oper a of the national theatr e in mar ibor
3
2
1
0
MB LJ
Graph 5: Number of premieres of Slovene operettas in Maribor and Ljubljana between
the wars.
of Lower Styria, whose theatre was evidently only able to survive through
the constant staging of operettas.
As may be seen from Graph 5, the Maribor Opera favored operettas by
domestic composers considerably more than the Ljubljana Opera did, gen-
erally staging at least one per season in the period in question. Despite the
more modest number of operetta premieres in Ljubljana, however, guest
performances by Ljubljana’s operetta company in Maribor were relative-
ly frequent.
In connection with operetta production in Maribor between the wars,
it is possible to highlight at least three main reasons for the predominance
of operetta in that city.
By far the most important reason is financial, and in particular the
state’s cutting of the subsidy to the Maribor theatre after 1928. The inter-
war period could be characterised as a constant struggle for survival for
the Maribor theatre. By continuously introducing new operettas to the rep-
ertoire, the theatre’s management were above all seeking to make money
quickly and maximize profits. Operetta, labelled “a necessary evil” by the
management, thus rescued many a season at the Maribor theatre in finan-
cial terms.
335
3
2
1
0
MB LJ
Graph 5: Number of premieres of Slovene operettas in Maribor and Ljubljana between
the wars.
of Lower Styria, whose theatre was evidently only able to survive through
the constant staging of operettas.
As may be seen from Graph 5, the Maribor Opera favored operettas by
domestic composers considerably more than the Ljubljana Opera did, gen-
erally staging at least one per season in the period in question. Despite the
more modest number of operetta premieres in Ljubljana, however, guest
performances by Ljubljana’s operetta company in Maribor were relative-
ly frequent.
In connection with operetta production in Maribor between the wars,
it is possible to highlight at least three main reasons for the predominance
of operetta in that city.
By far the most important reason is financial, and in particular the
state’s cutting of the subsidy to the Maribor theatre after 1928. The inter-
war period could be characterised as a constant struggle for survival for
the Maribor theatre. By continuously introducing new operettas to the rep-
ertoire, the theatre’s management were above all seeking to make money
quickly and maximize profits. Operetta, labelled “a necessary evil” by the
management, thus rescued many a season at the Maribor theatre in finan-
cial terms.
335
