Christopher Webber to Mitch Friedfeld:

>>Well, listers, what does make an operetta? ...
>
>Strictly speaking, as a separate art form, 'operetta' only applies to
>Viennese, German and other central European light operas.  Aside from
>these pedantic distinction, I don't think the term can be defined further.

"Operetta" may be defined by next gender and specific difference: "an opera
with inferiority complex".

>The best operettas, like the best zarzuelas and Gilbert & Sullivan, have
>ended up in the mainstream opera repertoire.

The concept of "mainstream opera repertoire" is very huge nowadays,
but not everywhere.  Some opera theaters would never program anything (no
matter how good) of G&S, Ruperto Chapi or Franz Lehar.  I heard once that
this decision was based precisely on the concept that operetta, zarzuela
etc.  are "separate art forms" than opera.  The argument doesn't works,
because I don't know concert halls specialized in piano concertos or
symphonic poems.  Actually --if one don't want to be as hypocritical as
its author-- the argument should be read in this way:  "because operetta,
zarzuela, all the G&S stuff etc.  are separate, *and cheaper*, art forms
than opera".

Pablo Massa
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