Page 569 - 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. 569
summaries
ensemble, but its productions did not achieve the quality of foreign perfor-
mances. Established natives of the city boycotted them and there were very
few Slovaks in the town. In addition, the operettas were the target of pop-
ulist criticism, which opposed the genre appearing on the stage of nation-
al theatre. The solution, which was to attract mainly foreign audiences, was
the cancellation of the operetta ensemble and its replacement with ballet,
while only a few operettas remained in the repertoire. However, the quality
of their staging was progressive, which gradually attracted more and more
audiences. The Slovaks, whose number in the city also increased, found
their way into the theatre too. At the end of the Oskar Nedbal era, a second
stage, the so-called People’s Theatre, was opened for the purpose of staging
operettas. However, it did not generate the promised financial rewards. Af-
ter Nedbal’s death, when Antonín Drašar took over the theatre, the second
stage was cancelled, and the operetta ensemble returned to the Slovak Na-
tional Theatre. Its presence was often criticised for mainly qualitative and
political reasons. On the other hand, it was a source of funds and brought
the possibility for the performance of the first Slovak operettas by Ján Móry
and Gejza Dusík, as well as opportunities for young Slovak singers.
This paper deals with the relationship between the operetta genre and the
Slovak National Theatre in 1920–1938, with a focus on its socio-political
and performance issues as well as comparing operetta works by domestic
authors.
Keywords: Slovak National Theatre, Operetta, Bedřich Jeřábek, Oskar Ned-
bal, Antonín Drašar, Ján Móry, Gejza Dusík
Manica Špendal
Different views of operetta and its reception
over time at the Maribor theatre
Regarding the evaluation of operetta and its reception at the theatre in
Marib or, we can talk about three different periods: the Austrian Empire
period, the interwar period and the period after the Second World War,
when ideological views of this musical-dramatic genre also played an im-
portant role.
Operetta was widely popular in the former provinces of the Austro-Hun-
garian Empire, particularly in provincial theatres like that of nine-
teenth-century Maribor. Among the reasons for this were a population that
was mainly interested in lighter forms of entertainment and a lack of suita-
ble premises and performers (singers, orchestra) that might otherwise have
567
ensemble, but its productions did not achieve the quality of foreign perfor-
mances. Established natives of the city boycotted them and there were very
few Slovaks in the town. In addition, the operettas were the target of pop-
ulist criticism, which opposed the genre appearing on the stage of nation-
al theatre. The solution, which was to attract mainly foreign audiences, was
the cancellation of the operetta ensemble and its replacement with ballet,
while only a few operettas remained in the repertoire. However, the quality
of their staging was progressive, which gradually attracted more and more
audiences. The Slovaks, whose number in the city also increased, found
their way into the theatre too. At the end of the Oskar Nedbal era, a second
stage, the so-called People’s Theatre, was opened for the purpose of staging
operettas. However, it did not generate the promised financial rewards. Af-
ter Nedbal’s death, when Antonín Drašar took over the theatre, the second
stage was cancelled, and the operetta ensemble returned to the Slovak Na-
tional Theatre. Its presence was often criticised for mainly qualitative and
political reasons. On the other hand, it was a source of funds and brought
the possibility for the performance of the first Slovak operettas by Ján Móry
and Gejza Dusík, as well as opportunities for young Slovak singers.
This paper deals with the relationship between the operetta genre and the
Slovak National Theatre in 1920–1938, with a focus on its socio-political
and performance issues as well as comparing operetta works by domestic
authors.
Keywords: Slovak National Theatre, Operetta, Bedřich Jeřábek, Oskar Ned-
bal, Antonín Drašar, Ján Móry, Gejza Dusík
Manica Špendal
Different views of operetta and its reception
over time at the Maribor theatre
Regarding the evaluation of operetta and its reception at the theatre in
Marib or, we can talk about three different periods: the Austrian Empire
period, the interwar period and the period after the Second World War,
when ideological views of this musical-dramatic genre also played an im-
portant role.
Operetta was widely popular in the former provinces of the Austro-Hun-
garian Empire, particularly in provincial theatres like that of nine-
teenth-century Maribor. Among the reasons for this were a population that
was mainly interested in lighter forms of entertainment and a lack of suita-
ble premises and performers (singers, orchestra) that might otherwise have
567
