German Operetta on Broadway and in the West End, 1900–1940

Uncovers a world of forgotten triumphs of musical theatre that shine a light on major social topics. This book is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Derek B. Scott (Author)

9781108484589, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 July 2019

392 pages, 25 b/w illus. 1 table 24 music examples
25.2 x 18 x 3.4 cm, 0.95 kg

'Scott's book makes an interesting contribution to existing research … The book will be of value for anyone interested in the history of the entertainment industries and of inter-urban cultural transfers in the first half of the twentieth century, and provides a fresh take on the cultural history of transatlantic exchanges.' Antje Dietze, H-Urban

Academic attention has focused on America's influence on European stage works, and yet dozens of operettas from Austria and Germany were produced on Broadway and in the West End, and their impact on the musical life of the early twentieth century is undeniable. In this ground breaking book, Derek B. Scott examines the cultural transfer of operetta from the German stage to Britain and the USA and offers a historical and critical survey of these operettas and their music. In the period 1900–1940, over sixty operettas were produced in the West End, and over seventy on Broadway. A study of these stage works is important for the light they shine on a variety of social topics of the period - from modernity and gender relations to new technology and new media - and these are investigated in the individual chapters. This book is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Introduction
Part I. The Production of Operetta: 1. The music of operetta
2. Cultural transfer: translation and transcreation
3. The business of operetta
4. Directors, designers and performers
Part II. The Reception of Operetta: 5. The reception of operetta in London and New York
6. Operetta and intermediality
7. Operetta and modernity
8. Operetta and cosmopolitanism
Postlude: the demise of operetta
Appendix 1. Productions of operetta from the German stage on Broadway and in the West End
Appendix 2. Longest runs of operetta from the German stage on Broadway and in the West End
Appendix 3. Operettas with English librettos by composers for the German stage
Appendix 4. Selected period recordings of English versions of operetta from the German stage
Appendix 5. Selected films in English of operettas from the German stage
Appendix 6. Research resources.

Subject Areas: Opera [AVGC9], 20th century & contemporary classical music [AVGC6], Theatre studies [AN]