Adjacent Words

operetta definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a short amusing opera [syn: operetta, light opera]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Italian, diminutive of opera Date: 1770 a usually romantic comic opera that includes songs and dancing • operettist noun

Britannica Concise

Musical drama similar to opera, usually with a romantically sentimental plot, employing songs, dances, and orchestral interludes interspersed with spoken dialogue. The modern tradition begins with J. Offenbach, who wrote some 90 operettas and inspired a Viennese tradition that began with the works of Franz von Suppé (1819-1895) and J. Strauss. In Britain, most of the 14 comic operettas (1871-96) of W. S. Gilbert and A. Sullivan have been enduringly popular. In the U.S., the works of such European immigrant composers as V. Herbert and R. Friml were widely popular in the early 20th cent. See also musical.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a one-act or short opera. 2 a light opera. Etymology: It., dimin. of opera: see OPERA

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Operetta Op`er*et"ta, n. [It., dim. of opera.] (Mus.) A short, light, musical drama.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(operettas) An operetta is a light-hearted opera which has some of the words spoken rather than sung. N-VAR

Moby Thesaurus

Broadway musical, Singspiel, ballad opera, ballet, ballet divertissement, chorus show, comedy ballet, comic opera, dance drama, grand opera, light opera, lyric drama, minstrel, minstrel show, music drama, musical, musical comedy, musical stage, musical theater, opera, opera ballet, opera bouffe, opera buffa, song-and-dance act, song-play