Famous Operetta Overtures
Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra · conducted by Alfred Walter
JOHANN STRAUSS, Jr. (1825-1899)
Die Fledermaus (The Bat)
Die Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron)
Eine Nacht in Venedig (A Night in Venice)FRANZ VON SUPPÉ (1819-1895)
Ein Morgen, ein Mittag, ein Abend in Wien (Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna)
Die schöne Galathee (The Fair Galatea)
Leichte Kavallerie (Light Cavalry)JACQUES OFFENBACH (1819-1880)
La Belle Hélène (The Fair Helen)
Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld)This review is kindly sponsored by Rock Records.
NAXOS 8.550468
[66'18"] budget-priceAn Ink-troduction by May Lynn
The latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th saw the thriving of the musical genre known as the operetta (meaning "little opera"). Unlike its more weighty counterpart (where the simplest line to the most profound expression is full-throatily sung), operetta dabbles primarily in the comic mode, interspersing overtures, dances, songs and interludes with animated chatter and witticisms (hence operetta is commonly defined as light opera with dialogue).
Originating from Paris, where Jacques Offenbach notably, used the variety and versatility accruing to this genre to bridge the gap between the "heavier" productions of the Opèra-Comique and the popular vaudeville, the rave spread to Vienna, where it was taken in hand by composers like von Suppé, Johann Strauss Jr (right), Lehár and Kálmán among others. Though lighthearted, infectiously "waltzy" or "can-can" like, the operetta is not to be easily dismissed as frivolous entertainment.
Pandering to the fin-de-siécle taste in terms of form, it also reflects the prevailing paradoxical mood of the generation in terms of content. The spontaneity and vivaciousness of operetta belie its darker themes. Composers for the operetta are adept at using its inoffensive mass appeal as artistic license to address the "serious" social and even metaphysical concerns of the age. A recurring refrain: heady hedonism is constantly being undermined by the recognition of the superficiality and futility of sensuous indulgence. Yet, all that is carried through in a form that is unabashedly hedonistic in its musical jouissance.
Offenbach (1819-1880, photo on the left) was an eccentric (look again at the photo...) virtuoso cellist of German-Jewish origin. He left the Opèra-Comique to become a successful Parisian salon performer by 1838, but was nevertheless less acceptable as a composer by conventional standards (his whimsical and witty musical style was viewed with suspicion by the leading Parisian musical theatre establishment).
The turning point came with an operetta that was a parody of Gluck’s famous opera, Orpheus in the Underworld (or Orphée aux enfers) in 1858. Offenbach’s version was (not surprisingly) controversial by virtue of being shockingly satirical. In any case, it was scintillating enough for him to leave his impression indelibly on the Parisian musical scene. Thereafter he shot to fame, building his reputation upon a string of lively, melodious, witty operettas that quickly became the vogue in the leading cultural cities of Vienna, Berlin, Paris, London and New York.
Fair Helen (or La belle Hélène), the other feature here, was written to enthusiastic reception in 1848, based on a similiar satirical treatment of a classical legend (hmm...do I detect a formula for success here?). The legacy of operetta is such that even a later work, The Tales of Hoffman (Les Contes d’Hoffmann, 1881), which was to earn a place in the grand opera repertoire, is infused with the lightness and mellifluous lyricism of Offenbach’s earlier creative dabblings, whilst achieving the sweepingly operatic in scope.
The Viennese line started with the cosmopolitan Dalmatian (the place, not the dog) Franz von Suppé, extravagantly christened Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo (Frankly, with a name like that, who can go wrong? Nevertheless, his works have fallen into neglect, having been overshadowed by those of his more famous successor, Johann Strauss II. These dynastic types have a tendency to do that).
Suppé’s works attest to the pervading influence of Offenbach’s operettas. Indeed, it was through the latter’s inspiration that Viennese operetta came into its own. Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna, a play with songs, is today best remembered for its sparkling overture. The Beautiful Galatea, described as a comic-mythological operetta (see the formula again?), and Light Cavalry, with its distinct marching rhythms have also since become popular favourites in various versions.
The Strauss touch, already visible in countless waltzes, polkas and marches, was to extend into the field of operetta with the flawless masterpiece of Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus (or the less dignified "The Bat", 1874). Based on a French Vaudeville, the host of insincere, maudlin and pleasure-loving characters act out the prevailing themes of hedonism, delusion and transcient happiness, epitomising the Vienna of the period. Its brilliant overture captures the spirit of the whole operetta.
The Gypsy Baron (Zigeunerbaron, 1885), based on a Hungarian story, was the most triumphantly received operetta. It was staged in Vienna in 1885 to thunderous applause (apparently, even during the Overture, each new melody was greeted with such disruptive uproars of approval that the whole darn thing was extended to thrice its length).
Strauss’ gift for operetta is the same one that made him the Waltz King - the ability to write irresistible melodies with dazzling vivacity. A Night in Venice (completed in 1883 in the midst of a divorce and a third re-marriage) showcases the same flamboyance in style, but fluctuates wildly between a contemplative and a tempestuous vein (perhaps not so difficult to guess why).
The overtures make a good starting point for the exploration of the operettas in their entirety. Alternatively, they can be appreciated in themselves (for indeed they have garnered enough fame as autonomous works), for they encapsulate delectably in summary form the themes and musical motifs of the operettas. The Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice) conducted by Alfred Walter puts on a fast-paced, exciting and spirited performance for this recording. The spontaneity and enjoyment in the playing is obvious and infectious and for this price, it definitely is an album to grab.
Der Fliegende Inkpot
Ring of DramaIn Singapore, Naxos CDs can be easily ordered from Sing Discs (Raffles City), Tower (Pacific Plaza and Suntec City), Borders (Wheelock Place) or HMV (The Heeren).
May Lynn is waltzing her way through the underworld, busy in school learning how to direct school children...
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264: 16.6.98
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