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: Accordion orchestra
Score
Item no.: 126469
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 685169
for: 2 soloists (SMez), women's choir (SS), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 685150
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Score
Item no.: 685106
for: Accordion orchestra
Score
Item no.: 279073
for: Salon orchestra
Piano part for conductor, Parts
Item no.: 283601
for: Salon orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 160946
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score (with critical report)
Item no.: 685112
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score (with critical report)
Item no.: 684850
for: für 2 Violinen und Klavier
Item no.: 289774
for: Piano
Item no.: 356577
for: Accordion
Item no.: 351567
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 356221
Piano reduction
Item no.: 283367
for: Voice (tenor), piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 3273
for: Flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Sheet music
Item no.: 1210602
for: Concert Band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 301132
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 220608
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 124726
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 562533
for: Salon orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 1660127
for: Voice, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 1024978
for: Symphonic orchestra
Book
Item no.: 199869
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra [piano]
Choir parts (Soprano, Alto)
Item no.: 344741
for: Male choir (TTBB), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 217515
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 1342764
for: Piano
Item no.: 288960
for: Voice (medium), piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 362529
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 410926
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 780935
for: Piano
Item no.: 188645
for: Piano
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 197039
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 141654
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 774066
for: 2 alto saxophones
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1073046
Quatuor De Flutes [Piccolo, Flute En Ut, Alto, Basse]
for: 4 flutes (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1072057
Operette in 3 Aufzügen
Reclams Textbücher
Lyric book
Item no.: 1670674
for: Salon orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 128102
Marsch aus der Operette "Frau Luna" bearbeitet für Blasorchester
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 655312
for: Salon orchestra
Item no.: 485804
for: Zither (3 chords)
Backing sheet
Item no.: 135405
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 261022
for: 2 trombones
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1073585
Operette in drei Akten
Lyric book
Item no.: 193505
for: Male choir, piano
Piano score
Item no.: 342709
("Bei solchem Feste") aus der Operette "Der Bettelstudent"
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 307849
aus "Bei Kerzenlicht"
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 307265
G
for: Piano
Easy Piano
Item no.: 1044276