DOI: 10.7256/2453-613X.2022.2.40476

Abstract: This article focuses on a separate branch of music theatre: the English Savoy operas, which are predominantly comic operas by William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Having the traits of ballad operas, operettas, and musicals, they combine music and performing techniques typical for these forms of performance. These plays were immensely popular both abroad and in Russia, where 177 performances were put on from 1877 to 1998. Consequently, Gilbert and Sullivan’s theatrical works incorporated the achievements of their predecessors while also introducing original elements that furthered the evolution of musical theatre; it raised operetta to a much higher level and became a starting point for new genres. The composers placed specific and rigorous requirements on the artists and performers. This research aims to study the peculiarities of the performing style seen in Gilbert and Sullivans’ operettas. The scientific value of this article lies in the accentuation of an original aspect of the research: the Savoy opera performing style, the generalization of incomplete data on this problem, and the introduction of new sources. The conceptual elements of compositions, which are at the core of the musical theatre image, take on special value. It is a dramaturgic component that determines vocal delivery, influences the approach to diction and phrasing, and determines the physical embodiment of the role. In addition, the article’s materials have methodical importance for modern performers in operettas and popular musicals.

DOI: 10.7256/2453-613X.2020.2.40334

Abstract: This article focuses on a separate branch of music theatre: the English Savoy operas, which are predominantly comic operas by William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Having the traits of ballad operas, operettas, and musicals, they combine music and performing techniques typical for these forms of performance. These plays were immensely popular both abroad and in Russia, where 177 performances were put on from 1877 to 1998. Consequently, Gilbert and Sullivan’s theatrical works incorporated the achievements of their predecessors while also introducing original elements that furthered the evolution of musical theatre; it raised operetta to a much higher level and became a starting point for new genres. The composers placed specific and rigorous requirements on the artists and performers. This research aims to study the peculiarities of the performing style seen in Gilbert and Sullivans’ operettas. The scientific value of this article lies in the accentuation of an original aspect of the research: the Savoy opera performing style, the generalization of incomplete data on this problem, and the introduction of new sources. The conceptual elements of compositions, which are at the core of the musical theatre image, take on special value. It is a dramaturgic component that determines vocal delivery, influences the approach to diction and phrasing, and determines the physical embodiment of the role. In addition, the article’s materials have methodical importance for modern performers in operettas and popular musicals.