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: Piano
Item no.: 356600
for: Piano
Item no.: 356591
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 468464
for: Violine (Klavier ad libitum)
Item no.: 287973
for: Mixed choir, piano
Score
Item no.: 298035
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 281978
"Eine Party am Weihnachtsabend" oder "Das Unglück von Rascaeta" für Salonorchester
Opereta de Argentinia
for: Salon orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 684262
für Bläserquintett
for: 5 woodwinds (quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 246586
Klassik
for: Voice (baritone), piano
Buch
Item no.: 136823
for: Male choir (TTBB), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 192934
aus der Operette "Der fliegende Rittmeister", mit Orchester oder Klavier
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1652761
for: 2 euphoniums
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1073230
aus der Operette Der Zigeunerbaron
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 665727
for: Zither (5 chords)
Backing sheet
Item no.: 150758
for: Zither (6 chords)
Backing sheet
Item no.: 150759
for: Zither (5 chords)
Backing sheet
Item no.: 151023
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 564133
for two Flutes and Piano
Southern Music
for: 2 flutes, piano
Piano score, Solo parts
Item no.: 673639
Potpourri (Verlagskopie) (Editor's copy)
for: Accordion
Item no.: 456556
Die Lebensgeschichte des Fritz Oliven
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 564292
for: Mixed choir; piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 604356
for: Concert band
Set of parts
Item no.: 680699
Operette in drei Akten
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), narrator, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 197177
for: Narrator, soloists, mixed choir, concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1668025
Aria from "The Land of Smiles"
for: Voice (soprano), concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1665586
to the operetta "The Land of Smiles"
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1665566
Konzertszene aus der Operette "Frauenherz"
for: Salon orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 634472
for: Flute ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 994332
for: Flute, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 132898
Buffo-Oper in 2 Akten
Spiralbindung
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 200035
correlates with Yamaha Band Student 2, page 20
Yamaha Band Series
for: Winds class [youth concert band]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 586450
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 685170
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 685122
for: Voice (soprano), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 690568
for: Voices, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 690447
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 685176
for: Soloist (soprano), women's choir (SS), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 685128
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 695292
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1042876
for: String orchestra
Score
Item no.: 943551
for: 4 mandolins
Set of parts
Item no.: 343724
for: 2 pianos
Item no.: 305560
for: Mixed choir, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 307853
Lyric book
Item no.: 554437
for: Voice, piano
Single edition
Item no.: 307250
for: Piano
Item no.: 283495
for: Mixed choir, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 211620
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 655361