What better way to get into the holidays and ready for the new year than something sparkling! So please join “A Note on Opera” for our first program on “Viennese Operetta.”
Two of its best and most well-known examples will be the focus: “Die Fledermaus” [The Bat] by Johann Strauss the Younger and “Die lustige Witwe” [The Merry Widow] by Franz Lehár. Unlike its Parisian cousin, Viennese Operetta is not satire with a political “bite,” but rather more escapist, a reaction to the inexorable decline of Austria-Hungary.
We’ll also look at what similarities there are between “opera” and “operetta,” along with what makes them noticeably different from each other. .
To conclude, we’ll look at the influence of Viennese Operetta on the development of American Musical Theatre.
To be taught in English by David Kerr, no pre-existing musical knowledge required.
Admission: $20.00 members, $25.00 non-members
