Operetta is the vital link between Opera and the Musical, it originated in Paris, and became highly popular in London and Vienna. Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all the wonderful operettas on offer with Stretta Music today!
In Paris in the middle of the 19th century, operetta, which is shorter and lighter than ’serious opera’, developed out of the highly popular opera comique. This new form, consisting of frivolous parodies of bel canto opera and Meyerbeer’s grand opéra, and contemporary society, was first penned by Jacques Offenbach.
In Vienna, news of Offenbach’s success spread quickly, and it inspired composers like Johann Strauss II to take up the call, and the first great Viennese operetta was his “Die Fledermaus”. In contrast to the French can-can, the Viennese operettas are famous for their Waltzes. As the operetta grew in popularity, composers tried to reach the more affluent audience, and operetta soon became less frivolous, and more political, reflecting the rise of nationalism in the country.
In London, 1871, theatre manager Richard D’Oyly Carte, seeing the developments on the continent, brought together the literary and musical talents of W.S Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan, to form the great operetta duo Gilbert & Sullivan. Their operettas were so popular, that ten years later, he built the Savoy Theatre will the sole purpose of producing Gilbert & Sullivan operettas.
In Germany, the Bavarian operettas, and the Berlin operettas were very popular, reaching their high point with Paul Abraham and his “Viktoria und ihr Husar” in 1929. After the National Socialists took power, his extremely successful and popular works were labelled ’degenerate’, and were struck from the repertoire.
Towards the end of the first half of the 20th century, many musicians left Europe for the USA, and they took with them all the joys and experience of operetta, and a new genre was born, the Musical.
for: 3 voices (SST), piano
Piano reduction (pdf download)
Item no.: 2358
Potpourri
for: Salon orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 338768
Organ goes Opera 3
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 675091
Lyric book
Item no.: 344674
for: Accordion [keyboard]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1764
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 275244
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 200052
for: Voice, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 124817
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 200108
Piano reduction
Item no.: 137918
for: Zither (6 chords)
Backing sheet
Item no.: 152518
Operette in zwei Akten und einem Zwischenspiel
Piano reduction
Item no.: 128160
für Gitarre solo
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 207354
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 217029
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 894685
for: Piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1765
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 613536
for: 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass [string orchestra]
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1593
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 128164
for: Salon orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 389159
Operette in drei Akten
Klavierauszug mit Text
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 128162
Musikalische Komödie in fünf Bilder
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 128232
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 128152
Comic Operetta in 3 Acts
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 383684
aus "Die Csárdásfürstin"
für Gesang und Klavier
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 128084
for: Voice (soprano), orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 644841
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 283507
for: Salon orchestra
Piano part for conductor, Parts
Item no.: 309808
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 217030
for: 2 violins [flute, clarinet (B-flat)], cello [bassoon], harpsichord [piano]
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1526
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 645994
for: Voice, piano
Score
Item no.: 616503
for: Voice (soprano), piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1111
Eb
for: Voice, piano
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1027696
G
for: Voice, piano [guitar]
Piano/Voice/Guitar
Item no.: 1028659
for: Voice (medium), piano
Music score
Item no.: 643235
A
for: Voice, piano [guitar]
Piano/Voice/Guitar
Item no.: 1048670
Gm
for: Voice, piano [guitar]
Piano/Voice/Guitar
Item no.: 1050124
Eb
for: Voice, piano
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1026298
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1196984
Eb
for: Voice, piano
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1026277
C
for: Voice, piano
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1026085
for: Voice, piano [guitar]
Single edition
Item no.: 1353992
for: Voice (baritone), piano
Book
Item no.: 301244
for: Voice (mezzo-soprano), piano
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 610223
The Walsh Collection
for: Alto saxophone (E-flat)
Music score
Item no.: 376029
C
for: Voice, piano
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1026071
for: Solo voices, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 771437