Page 228 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2021. Opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama ▪︎ Operetta between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 5
P. 228
opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama
between the two world wars (1918–1941). Despite all the difficulties it faced
over the first decades of its work, this institution managed to maintain an
annual repertoire, along with the required human and financial resourc-
es, and to develop a broad range of cultural activities which, besides thea-
tre, encompassed literature, the visual arts, and music. The National Thea-
tre hall soon became the haunt of diverse cultural activities, a popular spot
for organising various events, concerts, and parties. Besides its regular the-
atre repertoire, the stage of the National Theatre hosted a number of oper-
etta and opera ensembles, local and international artists.5
Since no operetta or opera house existed in Sarajevo or Bosnia and
Herzegovina in this period, the introduction of theatre pieces with music,
“pieces with singing” and operettas into the regular theatre repertoire, in
an institution with its own human and financial resources, significantly af-
fected the development of musical professionalism through the establish-
ment of music ensembles (theatre choir and orchestra) and hiring of profes-
sional musicians (conductors and vocal soloists).
Musical Repertoire
The musical part of the National Theatre repertoire consisted of pieces with
singing and operettas. Besides these forms, which were part of the theatre
repertoire together with plays, Sarajevo audiences had the opportunity to
hear opera performances by visiting ensembles from Osijek, Zagreb, Lju-
bljana, and Belgrade, which visited the city several times. However, despite
efforts to stage an opera with local forces,6 there were no major initiatives
to promote opera in the theatre repertoire.
Pieces with singing, very popular between the two wars, were very of-
ten performed on the Sarajevo theatre stage until the Second World War.
This is a musical theatrical form with national-romantic and folk content,
which owes its popularity to simple topics, close to ordinary people (the
faithful sweetheart, friendship, blood-brotherhood, respect for parents and
one’s elders, heroism and bravery, patriotism, etc.) as well as to rich stage ef-
fects that were supposed to evoke scenes from everyday life. Musical num-
bers – newly composed melodies, melodies composed “based on folk mo-
5 The theatre hall was the location of numerous concerts, art exhibitions, literary eve-
nings, parties of confessional and humanitarian societies, celebrations, and occa-
sional events. Josip Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata (1918–1929), vol. 2
(Sarajevo: Svjetlost, 1976), 86.
6 The 1928/1929 season saw the staging of Mascagni’s Cavaleria Rusticana and Pucci-
ni’s Madame Butterfly. Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata, vol. 1, 325–7.
226
between the two world wars (1918–1941). Despite all the difficulties it faced
over the first decades of its work, this institution managed to maintain an
annual repertoire, along with the required human and financial resourc-
es, and to develop a broad range of cultural activities which, besides thea-
tre, encompassed literature, the visual arts, and music. The National Thea-
tre hall soon became the haunt of diverse cultural activities, a popular spot
for organising various events, concerts, and parties. Besides its regular the-
atre repertoire, the stage of the National Theatre hosted a number of oper-
etta and opera ensembles, local and international artists.5
Since no operetta or opera house existed in Sarajevo or Bosnia and
Herzegovina in this period, the introduction of theatre pieces with music,
“pieces with singing” and operettas into the regular theatre repertoire, in
an institution with its own human and financial resources, significantly af-
fected the development of musical professionalism through the establish-
ment of music ensembles (theatre choir and orchestra) and hiring of profes-
sional musicians (conductors and vocal soloists).
Musical Repertoire
The musical part of the National Theatre repertoire consisted of pieces with
singing and operettas. Besides these forms, which were part of the theatre
repertoire together with plays, Sarajevo audiences had the opportunity to
hear opera performances by visiting ensembles from Osijek, Zagreb, Lju-
bljana, and Belgrade, which visited the city several times. However, despite
efforts to stage an opera with local forces,6 there were no major initiatives
to promote opera in the theatre repertoire.
Pieces with singing, very popular between the two wars, were very of-
ten performed on the Sarajevo theatre stage until the Second World War.
This is a musical theatrical form with national-romantic and folk content,
which owes its popularity to simple topics, close to ordinary people (the
faithful sweetheart, friendship, blood-brotherhood, respect for parents and
one’s elders, heroism and bravery, patriotism, etc.) as well as to rich stage ef-
fects that were supposed to evoke scenes from everyday life. Musical num-
bers – newly composed melodies, melodies composed “based on folk mo-
5 The theatre hall was the location of numerous concerts, art exhibitions, literary eve-
nings, parties of confessional and humanitarian societies, celebrations, and occa-
sional events. Josip Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata (1918–1929), vol. 2
(Sarajevo: Svjetlost, 1976), 86.
6 The 1928/1929 season saw the staging of Mascagni’s Cavaleria Rusticana and Pucci-
ni’s Madame Butterfly. Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata, vol. 1, 325–7.
226
