Spring 2016 will see the arrival in Japan of the Volksoper Wien, followed in the fall by the arrival of Wiener Staatsoper, making it the "Year of Vienna" in Japan. If the Wiener Staatsoper is a rich and mellow glass of fine wine, the Volksoper Wien would have to be a delightful flute of champagne.
In today's world, it seems as though many people feel that life just keeps getting harder and harder. There must be quite a few who would like to brighten up the day's gloom, even if just for a while. An operetta is like a wonder drug for such people.
It is said, "An operetta is an encyclopedia of love." On stage, the battle for love is fought by various means; the audience experiences a love unthinkable in reality. The waltzes, polkas, and other rhythmic music that could only be Viennese--bubbling like champagne--dazzle as they underscore the love. An operetta has the happy ending of a slapstick comedy. There is no doubt that one can taste that sense of happiness that feels as if you're drunk on fine champagne.
This temple of the operetta, the Volksoper Wien, is descended from a theater that opened in 1898, during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Its prestigious halls survived two world wars. Currently, in the musical capital of Vienna, the Volksoper Wien is the second largest musical theater, after the Wiener Staatsoper, serving as the face of city. To fully display the appeal of the operetta form, singers are required not just to have vocal talent but also acting chops and the ability to ad lib. They say that comedy is more difficult than tragedy for performers. Indeed, the full complement of skills displayed by the orchestra and performers of an operetta--a form in which laughs are essential and the happy ending must delight the audience--is on a par with that required to perform the major operas.
Love begins with champagne. Come and have your heart beat to the struggles for love played out on the stage. Raise a glass to an extraordinary, exuberant life! Through operetta, one can bring more joy to one's real life.
