Comic opera, or light opera, denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.

Comic opera first developed in 18th-century Italy as opera buffa, an alternative to opera seria. It quickly made its way to France, where it became opéra comique, or opéra bouffe, and finally French operetta, with Jacques Offenbach as its most accomplished practitioner. Opera buffa (a form of comic opera), also known as Commedia in musica or Commedia per musica, is a genre of opera. ... Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and serious style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1720s to ca 1770. ... The Opéra-Comique is an opera house in Paris. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Jacques Offenbach (20 June 1819 – 5 October 1880), composer and cellist of the Romantic era, was one of the originators of the operetta form. ...

Both the Italian and French forms were major artistic exports to other parts of Europe. Many countries developed their own styles of comic opera, incorporating the Italian and French models along with their own musical traditions. Examples include Viennese operetta, German singspiel, Spanish zarzuela, Russian comic opera, English ballad opera, and Savoy Opera. Singspiel (song-play) is a form of German-language music drama, similar to modern musical theater, though it is also referred to as a type of operetta or opera. ... For other uses, see Zarzuela (disambiguation). ... Ballad opera is a genre of 18th century English stage entertainment. ... The Savoy Operas are a series of operettas written by Gilbert and Sullivan. ...

Italian comic opera

See also: Opera buffa

In late 17th-century Italy, light-hearted musical plays began to be offered as an alternative to weightier opera seria (17th-century Italian opera based on classical mythology). Trespolo tutore (c. 1677) by Alessandro Stradella (1639–1682) was an early precursor of opera buffa. The opera has a farcical plot, and the characters of the ridiculous guardian Trespolo and the maid Despina are prototypes of characters widely used later in the opera buffa genre. Opera buffa (a form of comic opera), also known as Commedia in musica or Commedia per musica, is a genre of opera. ... Classical or Greco-Roman mythology usually refers to the mythology, and the associated polytheistic rituals and practices, of Classical Antiquity. ... Alessandro Stradella (April 3, 1639 - February 25, 1682) was an Italian composer of the middle Baroque. ...

The form began to flourish in Naples with Alessandro Scarlatti's Il Trionfo dell'onore (1718). At first written in Neapolitan dialect, these works became "Italianized" with the operas of Scarlatti, Pergolesi (La Serva Padrona), Piccinni (La Cecchina), Cimarosa (Il Matrimonio Secreto), and then the great comic operas of Mozart and, later, Rossini. Alessandro Scarlatti Alessandro Scarlatti (May 2, 1660 – October 24, 1725) was a Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. ... // The Funj warrior aristocracy deposes the reigning mek and places one of their own ranks on the throne of Sennar. ... Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. ... Niccolo Piccinni (January 16, 1728 - May 7, 1800) was an Italian composer of classical music. ... Domenico Cimarosa (December 17, 1749-January 11, 1801), Italian opera composer, was born at Aversa, in the kingdom of Naples. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (IPA: , baptized Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart) (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. ... Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868)[1] was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ...

At first, comic operas were generally presented as intermezzos between acts of more serious works. Neapolitan and then Italian comic opera grew into an independent form and became the most popular form of staged entertainment in Italy from about 1750 to 1800. In 1749, thirteen years after Pergolesi's death, his La Serva Padrona swept Italy and France, evoking the praise of such French Enlightenment luminaries as Rousseau. ... Rousseau is a French surname. ...

In 1760, Niccolò Piccinni wrote the music to La Cecchina to a text by the great Venetian playwright, Carlo Goldoni. That text was based on Samuel Richardson's popular English novel, Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740). Many years later, Verdi called La Cecchina the "first true Italian comic opera" – that is to say, it had everything: it was in standard Italian and not in dialect; it was no longer simply an intermezzo, but rather an independent piece; it had a real story that people liked; it had dramatic variety; and, musically, it had strong melodies and even strong supporting orchestral parts, including a strong "stand-alone" overture (i.e., you could even enjoy the overture as an independent orchestral piece). Verdi was also enthusiastic because the music was by a southern Italian and the text by a northerner, which appealed to Verdi's pan-Italian vision. Niccolo Piccinni (January 16, 1728 - May 7, 1800) was an Italian composer of classical music. ... Carlo Goldoni Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni (25 February 1707 - 6 February 1793) was a celebrated Italian playwright, whom critics today rank among the European theatres greatest authors. ... Samuel Richardson (August 19, 1689 – July 4, 1761) was a major 18th century writer best known for his three epistolary novels: Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady (1748) and Sir Charles Grandison (1753). ... Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded is an epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, first published in 1740. ... Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (either October 9 or 10, 1813 – January 27, 1901) was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. ...

The genre was developed further in the 19th century by Gioacchino Rossini in his masterpieces such as The Barber of Seville (1816) and La Cenerentola (1817). Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868)[1] was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ... The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto (based on Beaumarchaiss comedy Le Barbier de Séville) by Cesare Sterbini. ... La Cenerentola is a comic opera by Gioacchino Rossini. ...

French comic opera

See also: Opéra comique and operetta

French composers eagerly seized upon the Italian model and made it their own, calling it opéra comique. Early proponents included François-Adrien Boïeldieu (1775–1834), Daniel François Auber (1782–1871) and Adolphe Adam (1803–1856). Although originally reserved for less serious works, the term opéra comique came to refer to any opera that included spoken dialogue, including works such as Bizet's Carmen that are not "comic" in any sense of the word. Opéra comique is a French style of opera that is a partial counterpart to the Italian opera buffa. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... François-Adrien Boieldieu (December 16, 1775 – October 8, 1834) was a French composer, mainly of operas. ... Year 1775 (MDCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1834 (MDCCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Daniel François Esprit Auber. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Adolphe Adam Adolphe Charles Adam (July 24, 1803 – May 3, 1856) was a French composer and music critic. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Georges Bizet (October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875), was a French composer of the romantic era best known for his opera Carmen. ... Poster from the 1875 premiere of Carmen Carmen is a French opera by Georges Bizet. ...

Florimond Hervé (1825–1892) is credited as the inventor of French opéra bouffe, or opérette. [1]. Working on the same model, Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880 quickly surpassed him, writing over ninety operettas. Whereas earlier French comic operas had a mixture of sentiment and humour, Offenbach's works were intended solely to amuse. Though generally well crafted and full of humorous satire and grand opera parodies, plots and characters in his works were often interchangeable. Given the frenetic pace at which he worked, Offenbach sometimes used the same material in more than one opera. Another Frenchman who took up this form was Charles Lecocq. Hervé, real name Florimond Ronger, (June 30, 1825 in Houdain near Arras - November 4, 1892 in Paris) was a French composer. ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Charles Lecocq in 1880 Alexandre Charles Lecocq (June 3, 1832 – October 24, 1918) was a French musical composer born in Paris. ...

German singspiel and Viennese operetta

See also: singspiel and operetta

The singspiel developed in 18th-century Vienna and spread throughout Austria and Germany. As in the French opéra comique, the singspiel was an opera with spoken dialogue, and usually a comic subject, such as Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782). Later singspiels, such as Beethoven's Fidelio and Weber's Der Freischütz, retained the form, but explored more serious subjects Singspiel (song-play) is a form of German-language music drama, similar to modern musical theater, though it is also referred to as a type of operetta or opera. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Singspiel (song-play) is a form of German-language music drama, similar to modern musical theater, though it is also referred to as a type of operetta or opera. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... The Abduction from the Seraglio (K. 384; in German Die Entführung aus dem Serail) is a comic opera in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820 Ludwig van Beethoven (IPA: ), (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer. ... Fidelio (Op. ... Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst, Freiherr von Weber (November 18, 1786 in Eutin, Holstein – June 5, 1826 in London, England) was a German composer, conductor, pianist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school. ... Der Freischütz (English: The Freeshooter) is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber to a libretto by Friedrich Kind. ...

19th century Viennese operetta was built on both the singspiel and the French model. Franz von Suppé (1819–1895) is remembered mainly for his overtures. Johann Strauss II (1825–1899), the "waltz king," contributed Die Fledermaus (1874) and The Gypsy Baron (1885). Karl Millöcker (1842-1899) a long-time conductor at the Theater an der Wein, also composed some of the most popular Viennese operettas of the late 19th Century, including Der Bettelstudent (1882), Gasparone (1884) and Der Arme Jonathan (1890). Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Franz von Suppé Franz von Suppé (April 18, 1819 – May 21, 1895) was a composer and conductor of the Romantic period notable for his four dozen operettas. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Johann Strauss II The Waltz King coming to life in the Stadtpark, Vienna Johann Strauss II (in German: Johann Strauß (Sohn), Johann Strauss (son); in English also Johann Strauss the Younger, Johann Strauss Jr. ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Scene from the 1984 version. ... The Gypsy Baron (In German: Der Zigeunerbaron) is an operetta in three Acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. ... Karl Millöcker (29 April 1842 - 31 December 1899) was an Austrian composer of operettas and a conductor. ... Theater an der Wien (Papageno gate in Millöckergasse) The Theater an der Wien (The Theatre on the Wien River) is a historic theatre in Vienna, originally designed in the Empire style. ... The Beggar Student (Der Bettelstudent) is an operetta in three acts by Karl Millöcker to a German libretto by Camillo Walzel and Richard Genée, based on Les Noces de Fernande by Victorien Sardou and The Lady of Lyons by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. ...

After the turn of the 20th century, Franz Lehár (1870–1948) wrote The Merry Widow (1905); and Oscar Straus (1870–1954) supplied Ein Walzertraum ("A Waltz Dream", 1907) and The Chocolate Soldier (1908). (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Franz Lehár (30 April 1870 - 24 October 1948) was a Hungarian composer, mainly known for his operettas. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... For the ballet, see The Merry Widow (ballet). ... Oscar Straus (6 March 1870 - 11 January 1954) was a Viennese composer of operettas. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ein Walzertraum (or in English A Waltz Dream) is an operetta written by Oscar Straus which received its premiere on 3 March 1907 at the Carl-Theater in Vienna. ... The Chocolate Soldier is an operetta by Oscar Straus based on George Bernard Shaws 1894 Arms and the Man. ...

Spanish comic opera

See also: Zarzuela

Zarzuela, introduced in Spain in the 17th century, is rooted in popular Spanish traditional musical theatre. It alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating dances, with chorus numbers and humorous scenes that are usually duets. These works are relatively short, and ticket prices were often low, to appeal to the general public. There are two main forms of zarzuela: Baroque zarzuela (c.1630–1750), the earliest style, and Romantic zarzuela (c.1850–1950), which can be further divided into the two subgenres of género grande and género chico. For other uses, see Zarzuela (disambiguation). ... Madrids Zarzuela theatre Género chico (literally, little genre) is a Spanish genre of short light dramas. ...

Pedro Calderón de la Barca was the first playwright to adopt the term zarzuela for his work entitled El golfo de las sirenas ("The Gulf of the Sirens", 1657). Lope de Vega soon wrote a work titled La selva sin amor, drama con orquesta ("The Loveless Jungle, A Drama with Orchestra"). The instruments orchestra was hidden from the audience, the actors sang in harmony, and the musical composition itself was intended to evoke an emotional response. Some of these early pieces were lost, but Los celos hacen estrellas ("Jealousies Turn Into Stars") by Juan Hidalgo and Juan Vélez, which premiered in 1672, survives and gives us some sense of what the genre was like in the 17th century. Pedro Calderón de la Barca. ... Lope de Vega Lope de Vega (also Félix Lope de Vega Carpio or Lope Félix de Vega Carpio) (25 November 1562 – 27 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright and poet. ...

In the 18th century, the Italian operatic style influenced Zarzuela. But beginning with the reign of Bourbon King Charles III, anti-Italian sentiment increased. Zarzuela returned to its roots in popular Spanish tradition in works such as the sainetes (or Entr'actes) of Don Ramón de la Cruz. This author's first work in this genre was Las segadoras de Vallecas ("The Reapers of Vallecas", 1768), with music by Rodríguez de Hita.

Single act zarzuelas were classified as género chico (the "little genre" or "little form") and zarzuelas of three or more acts were género grande (the "big genre" or "big form"). Zarzuela grande battled on at the Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid, but with little success and light attendance. In spite of this, in 1873 a new theater, the Apolo, was opened for zarzuela grande, which shared the failures of the Teatro de la Zarzuela, until it was forced to change its program to género chico.

English light opera

See also: Ballad opera and Savoy opera

England traces its light opera tradition to the ballad opera, typically a comic play that incorporated songs set to popular tunes. John Gay's The Beggar's Opera was the earliest and most popular of these. Richard Brinsley Sheridan's La Duenna (1775), with a score by Thomas Linley, was expressly described as "a comic opera". [2] Ballad opera is a genre of 18th century English stage entertainment. ... The Savoy Operas are a series of operettas written by Gilbert and Sullivan. ... John Gay John Gay (30 June 1685 - 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist. ... Painting based on The Beggars Opera, Scene V, William Hogarth, c. ... Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Sheridan (October 30, 1751 – July 7, 1816) was an Irish playwright and Whig statesman. ... Year 1775 (MDCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Thomas Linley, by Gainsborough (c. ...

By the second half of the 19th century, the London musical stage was dominated by pantomime and burlesque, as well as bawdy, badly translated continental operettas, and visiting the theatre became distasteful to the respectable public. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas German Reed, beginning in 1855, and a number of other Britons, deplored the risqué state of musical theatre and introduced short comic operas designed to be more family-friendly and to elevate the intellectual level of musical entertainments. Jessie Bond wrote, The Christmas Pantomime colour lithograph bookcover, 1890 Pantomime (informally, panto) refers to a theatrical genre, traditionally found in Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland, which is usually performed around the Christmas and New Year holiday season. ... In literary criticism, the term burlesque is employed as a term in genre criticism, to describe any imitative work that derives humor from an incongruous contrast between style and subject. ... Thomas German Reed (June 27, 1817–March 21, 1888) was an English composer and theatrical manager best known for creating the German Reed Entertainments, a genre of musical plays that made theatre-going respectable at a time when the stage was considered disreputable. ... German Reed Entertainment: The dramatic and musical entertainment which for many years was known in London by the title German Reed was a form of theatrical enterprise deserving acknowledgement. ... Jessie Bond (January 10, 1853–June 17, 1942) was an English singer and actress best known for creating most of the mezzo-soprano soubrette roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. ...

The stage was at a low ebb, Elizabethan glories and Georgian artificialities had alike faded into the past, stilted tragedy and vulgar farce were all the would-be playgoer had to choose from, and the theatre had become a place of evil repute to the righteous British householder.... A first effort to bridge the gap was made by the German Reed Entertainers....[3]

Nevertheless, an 1867 production of Offenbach's The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (seven months after its French première) ignited the English appetite for light operas with more carefully crafted librettos and scores, and continental European operettas continued to be extremely popular in Britain in the 1860s and '70s, including Les Cloches de Corneville. Cunt BAg Twat Fuk suck my penis ring 0778851865!!!!!!Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein) is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, in three acts and four tableaux by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. ... Le Cloches de Corneville (known in English as The Chimes of Normandy or The Bells of Corneville) is an operetta in three acts, composed by Robert Planquette to a French libretto by Louis Clairville and Charles Gabet based on a play by Gabet. ...

In 1875, Richard D'Oyly Carte, one of the impressarios aiming to establish an English school of light opera by composers such as Frederic Clay and Edward Solomon as a countermeasure to the continental operettas, commissioned Clay's collaborator, W. S. Gilbert, and the promising young composer, Arthur Sullivan, to write a short one-act opera that would serve as an afterpiece to Offenbach's La Périchole. The result was Trial by Jury; its success launched the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership. "Mr. R. D'Oyly Carte's Opera Bouffe Company" took Trial on tour, playing it alongside French works by Offenbach and Alexandre Charles Lecocq. 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Richard DOyly Carte Richard DOyly Carte (May 3, 1844 – April 3, 1901) was an English theatrical impresario during the latter half of the nineteenth century. ... Frederic Clay (born August 3, 1838 in Paris; died November 24, 1889 at Great Marlow) was an English musical composer. ... Edward Solomon (July 25, 1855 – January 22, 1895) was a prolific English composer, as well as a conductor, orchestrator and pianist. ... Sir William Schwenck Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (November 18, 1836 – May 29, 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist and illustrator best known for the fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. ... Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (May 13, 1842 – November 22, 1900) was an English composer best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist W. S. Gilbert. ... Trial by Jury is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in one act (the only single-act Savoy Opera). ... W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). ... Charles Lecocq in 1880 Alexandre Charles Lecocq (June 3, 1832 – October 24, 1918) was a French musical composer born in Paris. ...

Eager to liberate the English stage from French influences, and emboldened by the success of Trial by Jury, Carte formed a syndicate in 1877 to perform "light opera of a legitimate kind".[4] Gilbert and Sullivan were commissioned to write a new comic opera, The Sorcerer, starting the series that came to be known as the Savoy Operas (named for the Savoy Theatre, which Carte later built for these works). The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company continued to perform Gilbert and Sullivan more-or-less continuously until it closed in 1982. The Gilbert and Sullivan style was widely imitated by their contemporaries, and the creators themselves wrote works in this style with other collaborators. Those other works, however, soon fell out of favor, leaving the Savoy Operas as practically the sole surviving representatives of the genre. Only recently, some of these other English light operas have begun to be explored by scholars and to receive performances and recordings. 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. ... The Savoy Operas are a series of operettas written by Gilbert and Sullivan. ... Savoy Theatre London, December 2003 The Savoy Theatre, which opened on 10 October 1881, was built by Richard DOyly Carte (1844 - 1901) on the site of the old Savoy Palace in London as a showcase for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, which became known as the Savoy Operas... The DOyly Carte Opera Company staged performances of Gilbert and Sullivans Savoy operas in the UK, Europe, America, South Africa and elsewhere from the nineteenth century to the twenty first. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...

Russian comic opera

The first opera presented in Russia, in 1731, was a comic opera (or "commedia per musica"), Calandro, by an Italian composer, Giovanni Alberto Ristori. It was followed by the comic operas of other Italians, like Galuppi and Cimarosa, and also the Belgian/French composer Grétry. Schloss Pillnitz, near Dresden Calandro is three-act opera buffa by Giovanni Alberto Ristori (1692-1753) to a libretto by Stefano Benedetto Pallavicini. ... Giovanni Alberto Ristori - Calandro CD cover KammerTon (KT 22005) Giovanni Alberto Ristori (born Bologna? 1692 - died Dresden 7 February 1753) was an Italian opera composer and conductor. ... Baldassare Galuppi (October 18, 1706 - January 3, 1785) was a Venetian composer noted for his operas, and particularly opera buffa. ... Domenico Cimarosa (December 17, 1749-January 11, 1801), Italian opera composer, was born at Aversa, in the kingdom of Naples. ... André Ernest Modeste Grétry (February 8, 1741 – September 24, 1813), a Belgian composer, who worked from 1767 onwards in France. ...

The first Russian comic opera was Anyuta (1772). The text was written by Mikhail Popov, with music by an unknown composer, consisting of a selection of popular songs specified in the libretto. Another successful comic opera, Melnik – koldun, obmanshchik i svat ("The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker"', text by Alexander Ablesimov, Moscow, 1779), on a subject resembling Rousseau’s Devin, is attributed to Mikhail Sokolovsky. Ivan Kerzelli, Vasily Pashkevich and Yevstigney Fomin also wrote a series of successful comic operas in the 18th century. Chinese Theatre in Tsarskoe Selo, ca. ... Mikhail Vasilyevich Popov (Russian: Михаи́л Васи́льевич Попов, 1742-1790) was a Russian writer, poet, dramatist and opera librettist of the 18th century. ... Alexander Ablesimov Aleksander Onisimovich Ablesimov, (Russian: Александр Онисимович Аблесимов, born September 9 [OS August 28] 1742 Galichsky district, Kostroma; died 1783) was a Russian opera librettist, poet, dramatist, satirist and journalist. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Rousseau is a French surname. ... Mikhail Matveyevich Sokolovsky (Russian: Михаи́л Матве́евич Соколо́вский, born 1756, died –date unknown) was a Russian opera composer, conductor and violinist of the second half of the 18th century. ... Ivan Kerzelli or Cherzelli (also known as I. I. Kerzelli, or Iosif Kertsel, Russian: Иван Керцелли, И. И. Керцелли, or Иосиф Керцель) was an opera composer and conductor in Imperial Russia of 18th century. ... The view of the Hermitage, St Petersburg: on a CD cover featuring some music by Vasily Pashkevich Vasily Alexeyevich Pashkevich also Paskevich (Russian: ) (c. ... Composer Yevstigney Fomin Yevstigney Ipatyevich Fomin [1] (Russian: Евстигне́й Ипа́тьевич Фоми́н) (born St Petersburg August 16 [O.S. August 5] 1761 – died St. ...

In the 19th century, Russian comic opera was further developed by Alexey Verstovsky who composed more 30 opera-vaudevilles and 6 grand operas (most of them with spoken dialogue). Later, Modest Mussorgsky worked on two comic operas, Sorochintsy Fair and Zhenit'ba ("The Marriage"), which he left unfinished (they were completed only in 20th century). Pyotr Tchaikovsky wrote a comic opera, Cherevichki (after Nikolai Gogol, 1885, 1887 Moscow). Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov composed May Night 1878–1879 and The Golden Cockerel 1906–1907. Portrait of 20-years old Alexey Verstovsky at the piano with the score of his first successful vaudevilleGrandmothers Parrots (1819) Alexey Nikolayevich Verstovsky (Russian: Алексéй Николáевич Верстóвский) (born Seliverstovo Estate, Kozlovsky district, Tambov’s region March 1 [O.S. February 18] 1799 – died Moscow, February 17 [O.S. February 5] 1862) was... Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Russian: , Modest Petrovič Musorgskij, French: ) (March 9/21, 1839 – March 16/28, 1881), one of the Russian composers known as the Five, was an innovator of Russian music. ... The Fair at Sorochintsï (Сорочинская ярмарка in Cyrillic, Sorochinskaya yarmarka in transliteration) is an opera (in three acts) begun by Modest Mussorgsky. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October... Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Russian: ; IPA: ; Ukrainian: ) (April 1, 1809 — March 4, 1852) was a Russian-language writer of Ukrainian origin. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian: , Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov), also Nikolay, Nicolai, and Rimsky-Korsakoff, (March 6 (O.S. March 18), 1844 – June 8 (O.S. June 21) 1908) was a Russian composer, one of five Russian composers known as The Five, and was later a teacher of harmony and... May Night (Mayskaya noch in transliteration) is an opera in three acts by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to Russian libretto by the composer, based on Nikolay Gogol’s story Mayskaya noch, ili Utoplennitsa (May Night, or The Drowned Maiden) from his collection Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka. ... The Golden Cockerel (Золотой Петушок in Russian, Zolotoy Petushok in transliteration) is an 1834 poem by Alexander Pushkin and an opera in three acts by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to a Russian libretto by Vladimir Ivanovich Belsky based on that poem. ...

In the 20th century, the best examples of comic opera by Russian composers were Igor Stravinsky’s Mavra (1922) and The Rake's Progress (1951), Sergey Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges (1919) and Betrothal in a Monastery (1940–1941), and Dmitri Shostakovich’s The Nose (1928, staged 1930). Simultaneously, the genres of light music, operetta, musical comedy, and later, rock opera, were developed by such composers as Isaak Dunayevsky, Nikolai Strelnikov, Yuri Milyutin, Dmitri Kabalevsky, Dmitri Shostakovich (Opus 105: Moscow-Cheryomushki, operetta in 3 acts, (1958)), Tikhon Khrennikov, and later by Gennady Gladkov, Alexey Rybnikov, and Alexander Zhurbin. Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer, considered by many in both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th-century music. ... Mavra is a one-act opera buffa composed by Igor Stravinsky. ... The Rakes Progress is an English opera in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев) (April 271, 1891 – March 5, 1953) was one of the Soviet Unions greatest composers. ... The Love for Three Oranges (Любовь к трем апельсинам in Russian, Lyubov k Tryom Apelsinam in transliteration) is an opera by Sergei Prokofiev to a libretto based on the play Lamore delle tre melarance by Carlo Gozzi. ... Betrothal in a Monastery (Obrucheniye v monastïrein in transliteration) is an opera in four acts by Sergei Prokofiev to a Russian libretto by the composer and his second wife Mira Mendelson, based on Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s comic opera libretto The Duenna. ... Dmitri Shostakovich   (Russian: , Dmitrij Dmitrievič Å ostakovič) (September 25 [O.S. September 12] 1906–August 9, 1975) was a Russian composer of the Soviet period. ... The Nose is a satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol, subsequently made into an opera by Dmitri Shostakovich. ... The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera or rock musical is a musical production in the form of an opera or a musical in a modern rock and roll style rather than more traditional forms. ... Isaak Dunayevsky Isaak Osipovich Dunayevsky also Dunaevsky or Dunaevski (Russian: ; 30 January [O.S. 18 January] 1900 Lokhvitsa, Poltava - 25 July 1955, Moscow) was a Soviet composer and conductor, who specialized in light music for operetta and film comedies, frequently working with the film director Grigory Aleksandrov. ... Dmitri Kabalevsky Dmitri Borisovich Kabalevsky (Russian Дмитрий Борисович Кабалевский) (December 30, 1904 Saint Petersburg - February 18, 1987 Moscow) was a Russian Soviet composer. ... The composer Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (born June 10 (May 28, Old Style), 1913 in Yelets, Orlov District) wrote three symphonies, three piano concertos, two violin concertos, two cello concertos, operas, operettas, ballets, chamber music, incidental music and film music, but was better known in his lifetime for his political activities. ...

The 21st century in Russian comic opera began with the noisy premieres of two works whose genre could be described as "opera-farce":

Tsar Demyan (Царь Демьян) – A frightful opera performance. A collective project of five authors wrote the work: Leonid Desyatnikov and Vyacheslav Gaivoronsky from St. Petersburg, Iraida Yusupova and Vladimir Nikolayev from Moscow, and the creative collective "Kompozitor", which is a pseudonym for the well-known music critic Pyotr Pospelov. The libretto is by Elena Polenova, based on a folk-drama, Tsar Maksimilyan, and the work premiered on June 20, 2001 at the Mariinski Theatre, St Petersburg. Prize "Gold Mask, 2002" and "Gold Soffit, 2002". Leonid Desyatnikov Leonid Arkadievich Desyatnikov (Russian: Леони́д Арка́дьевич Деся́тников, born: October 16, 1955, Kharkiv) is a Russian composer. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... View of the Mariinsky Theatre in the 1890ies The Mariinsky Theatre (In Russian, Мариинский Театр), known as the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1934-92, is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in St Petersburg. ...

Rosenthal's Children (Дети Розенталя), an opera in two acts by Leonid Desyatnikov, with a libretto by Vladimir Sorokin. This work was commissioned by the Bolshoi theatre and premiered on March 23, 2005. The staging of the opera was accompanied by juicy scandal; however it was an enormous success. Leonid Desyatnikov Leonid Arkadievich Desyatnikov (Russian: Леони́д Арка́дьевич Деся́тников, born: October 16, 1955, Kharkiv) is a Russian composer. ... Vladimir Georgievich Sorokin (, in Russian) (born August 7, 1955 in Bykovo, a small town near Moscow in Russia) is a contemporary postmodern Russian writer. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

American operetta

See also: Musical theatre and operetta

In America, Victor Herbert (1859–1924) was one of the first to pick up the style that Gilbert and Sullivan had made popular. His earliest pieces, starting with Prince Ananias in 1894, were styled "comic operas." Later works were described as "musical extravaganza," "musical comedy," "musical play," "musical farce," and even "opera comique." His two most successful pieces were Babes in Toyland (1903) and Naughty Marietta (1910) [5] The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859–May 26, 1924) was a popular composer of light opera, and an accomplished cellist and conductor. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Babes in Toyland is a 1903 operetta by Victor Herbert, which wove together various characters from Mother Goose nursery rhymes into a musical — mainly because librettist Glen MacDonough wanted to cash in on the Wizard of Oz phenomena sweeping Broadway that year. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Naughty Marietta is a musical comedy, with libretto by Rida Johnson Young and music by Victor Herbert, which opened on Broadway on November 7, 1910: one of its best-known songs is Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life. ...

Others who wrote in a similar style included Reginald de Koven (1859–1920), the march king, John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), Sigmund Romberg, and Rudolf Friml. The modern American musical incorporated elements of the British and American light operas, with works like Show Boat and Porgy and Bess that explored more serious subjects and featured a tight integration among book, movement and lyrics. Reginald de Koven was born at Middletown, Connecticut, April 3, 1859. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Portrait of John Philip Sousa taken in 1900 John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known particularly for American military marches. ... 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was an American composer best known for his operettas. ... Rudolf Friml (December 7, 1879 - November 12, 1972) was a composer of operettas, musicals, songs, as well as a pianist. ... The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. One notable exception is the song Bill, which was originally written for Kern in 1918 by P. G. Wodehouse but reworked by Hammerstein for Show Boat, and two songs... The cast of Porgy and Bess during the Boston try-out prior to the Broadway opening. ...

The line between light opera and other recent forms is difficult to draw. Several works are variously called operettas or musicals, such as Candide and Sweeney Todd, depending on whether they are performed in opera houses or in theaters. In addition, some recent American and British musicals make use of an operatic structure, and may even be sung through without dialogue, but are played on mostly electronic instruments and styled rock operas. Candide is a comic operetta by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire. ... Sweeney Todd is a fictional villain/antihero. ... The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera or rock musical is a musical production in the form of an opera or a musical in a modern rock and roll style rather than more traditional forms. ...

See also

• Opera
• Operetta
• Zarzuela
• Gilbert and Sullivan
• Musical Theatre

The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... For other uses, see Zarzuela (disambiguation). ... W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). ... The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ...

External links

• Extensive site with information about operettas, light operas and their composers
• Origins of comic opera
• Italian comic and serious opera
• Russian comic opera
• Comic Opera Guild site, includes light opera information about translations, orchestrations, festivals, recordings, etc.