'The 18 essays in this excellent compendium look at the origin, development, and distinct national characteristics of various types of light musical dramatic types that came to be known collectively as operetta … this book will interest scholars of Jewish studies as well as scholars of music and drama. The bibliography is excellent, as are lists of books and films … Highly recommended.' W. E. Grim, Choice
Introduction Anastasia Belina and Derek B. Scott; Part I. Early Centres of Operetta: 1. French operetta: Offenbach and company John Kendrick; 2. Viennese Golden-Age operetta: drinking, dancing and social criticism in a multi-ethnic empire Lisa Feurzeig; 3. London and Gilbert and Sullivan Bruno Bower; 4. Hungarians and Hungarianisms in operetta and folk plays in the late Habsburg and post-Habsburg era Lynn Hooker; 5. Operetta in the Czech National Revival – the Provisional Theatre years Jan Smaczy; Part II. The Global Expansion of Operetta: 6. Going global: the international spread of Viennese Silver-Age operetta Stefan Frey; 7. Spain and Zarzuela Christopher Webber; 8. Camping along the American operetta divide (on the road to the musical play) Raymond Knapp; 9. Operetta in Russia and the USSR Anastasia Belina; 10. Operetta in the Nordic countries (1850–1970) Pentti Paavolainen; 11. Operetta in Greece Avra Xepapadakou; Part III. Operetta since 1900: 12. The operetta factory: production systems of Silver-Age Vienna Micaela Baranello; 13. Berlin operetta Tobias Becker; 14. Operetta in Italy Valeria De Lucca; 15. Operetta in Warsaw Anastasia Belina; 16. British operetta after Gilbert and Sullivan Derek B. Scott; 17. Operetta during the Nazi regime Matthias Kauffmann; 18. Operetta films Derek B. Scott; 19. 'Jazz was the dynamite that exploded the harmlessness of the Viennese operetta!' (Interviewer: Ulrich Lenz.) Interview with Barrie Kosky.