Page 240 - 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. 240
opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama
Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr. (4 May 1940) and Kálmán’s Silva Die
Csárdásfürstin (2 November 1940).58
Conclusion
The influence of the National Theatre on the development of Sarajevo’s mu-
sical life in the period between the two world wars was primarily reflect-
ed through the performances of pieces with singing and operettas. Includ-
ing these works in the regular repertoire, as staged with the theatre’s own
human and financial resources, encouraged the formation of music ensem-
bles and the hiring of professional musicians. However, maintaining the
choir, orchestra, and ballet ensemble was very expensive, and therefore the
ensembles were disbanded only to be formed again several times. Theatre
management worked under the permanent pressure of theatre critics, who
took a negative attitude toward the musical part of the theatre’s repertoire.
The quality of such musical-theatrical events rarely rose above average, due
to the inadequate ensemble, which was generally composed of actors rath-
er than musicians. Still, the musical part of the repertoire was the most de-
manded and best visited by audiences, and it was the Sarajevo audiences’
appetite for “musical performances” and light pieces with an entertaining
character that led to the introduction of operetta in the repertoire on two
occasions, from 1923/1924 until its removal in early 1927, and again starting
from the 1935/1936 season.
The great popularity of operetta in the period between the two wars is
also proved by data on the number of repeat performances. Over two de
cades around twenty operettas were performed on the stage of the Nation-
al Theatre, and on average they were stage twelve times each, while dramas
were staged just three times on average: Die Dollarprinzessin (17 times), Die
Rose von Stambul (14 times), On i njegova sestra (six times), The Geisha (12
times), Gräfin Maritza (13 times), Zigenuerliebe (14 times), La poupée (10
times), Mam’zelle Nitouche (nine times). If we add to these numbers pieces
with singing, whose average number of appearances in the repertoire was
also rather high, such as Đido (10 times), Koštana (10 times), Almasa (nine
times), Dorćolska posla (eight times) and Zlatija (five times),59 it is obvious
what Sarajevo audiences demanded.
In the period between the two wars there were no serious attempts to
promote opera in the theatre repertoire, nor was the staging of operettas
58 Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata, vol. 2, 346–54.
59 Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata, vol. 1, 218.
238
Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr. (4 May 1940) and Kálmán’s Silva Die
Csárdásfürstin (2 November 1940).58
Conclusion
The influence of the National Theatre on the development of Sarajevo’s mu-
sical life in the period between the two world wars was primarily reflect-
ed through the performances of pieces with singing and operettas. Includ-
ing these works in the regular repertoire, as staged with the theatre’s own
human and financial resources, encouraged the formation of music ensem-
bles and the hiring of professional musicians. However, maintaining the
choir, orchestra, and ballet ensemble was very expensive, and therefore the
ensembles were disbanded only to be formed again several times. Theatre
management worked under the permanent pressure of theatre critics, who
took a negative attitude toward the musical part of the theatre’s repertoire.
The quality of such musical-theatrical events rarely rose above average, due
to the inadequate ensemble, which was generally composed of actors rath-
er than musicians. Still, the musical part of the repertoire was the most de-
manded and best visited by audiences, and it was the Sarajevo audiences’
appetite for “musical performances” and light pieces with an entertaining
character that led to the introduction of operetta in the repertoire on two
occasions, from 1923/1924 until its removal in early 1927, and again starting
from the 1935/1936 season.
The great popularity of operetta in the period between the two wars is
also proved by data on the number of repeat performances. Over two de
cades around twenty operettas were performed on the stage of the Nation-
al Theatre, and on average they were stage twelve times each, while dramas
were staged just three times on average: Die Dollarprinzessin (17 times), Die
Rose von Stambul (14 times), On i njegova sestra (six times), The Geisha (12
times), Gräfin Maritza (13 times), Zigenuerliebe (14 times), La poupée (10
times), Mam’zelle Nitouche (nine times). If we add to these numbers pieces
with singing, whose average number of appearances in the repertoire was
also rather high, such as Đido (10 times), Koštana (10 times), Almasa (nine
times), Dorćolska posla (eight times) and Zlatija (five times),59 it is obvious
what Sarajevo audiences demanded.
In the period between the two wars there were no serious attempts to
promote opera in the theatre repertoire, nor was the staging of operettas
58 Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata, vol. 2, 346–54.
59 Lešić, Sarajevsko pozorište između dva rata, vol. 1, 218.
238
