Operetta

Whether it be operettas, musicals or light operas, the Dresden State Operetta is a specialist in the entertainment side of music theatre. As such, it is one of the few theatres in the German-speaking world to have dedicated itself to precisely this genre. Along with musicals and light operas, its repertoire includes classical operetta literature (Jacques Offenbach, Franz von Suppé, Johann Strauss, Carl Millöcker etc.), operettas from the 'Silver Era' (Franz Lehár, Emmerich Kálmán etc.) and works from the early 1920s and '30s (Ralph Benatzky, Eduard Künneke, Paul Abraham etc.). The series of long-forgotten operettas by Johann Strauss gained nationwide acclaim, with 'Der Carneval in Rom' ("The Carnival in Rome") (2004), 'Das Spitzentuch der Königin' ("The Queen's Lace Handkerchief") (2007) and 'Prinz Methusalem' ("Prince Methusalem") (2010) causing a sensation among audiences and experts alike and enriching the CD market with recordings of the complete works. In 2015, the State Operetta presented the fourth previously unknown work by the Waltz King in the form of 'Cagliostro in Wien' ("Cagliostro in Vienna"), re-igniting public awareness of the value and importance of this music.
Between 2006 and 2011, the CD edition 'Radiomusiken', including compositions by the likes of Eduard Künneke, Max Butting, Mischa Spoliansky and Franz Schreker, was released under then-principal conductor Ernst Theis in collaboration with radio broadcaster MDR.
Various academic conferences and a lecture series were organised in co-operation with the music department of the Carl Maria von Weber College of Music. The collection of papers from the 'Operette unterm Hakenkreuz' ("Operetta under the Swastika") conference (2007/08) has now become one of the standard works in operetta literature. Coupled with this were several monographs on 'The Firebrand of Florence', 'Orpheus in the Underworld' and 'Wonderful Town'.


The theatre's current repertoire features the likes of 'The White Horse Inn', 'Zwei Krawatten', 'Die Fledermaus', 'Casanova' and 'Polnische Hochzeit'.