Opera Parody In Russia The First Third Of The Twentieth Century And Cabaret: Vanishing Point

Abstract

The subject of this article is the history of Russian Opera parody. It grew from newspaper feuilletons and home performances to the theatrical performance. This form developed in the cabaret movement in the pre-revolutionary decade. The cabaret parody has become a tool that gave the way to Opera reform.

The main place for such experiments was the St. Petersburg cabaret «Distorting Mirror» («Krivoe zerkalo»). Its participants launched the so-called anti-Opera campaign in 1909. Particular attention is paid to the parody repertoire of this theater, including the Opera parodies «Cruel Baron» By V.G. Ehrenberg based on the play by V.G. Giatsintov, «Don Limonado de Gazets» by V.P. Burenin with the music of L. Geben and «Action on the protest bill» by V. Azov and V.G. Ehrenberg.

The article presents information about Opera parodies of the leading theaters of small forms, and about little-known compositions from the repertoire of the «The Bat», Intimate and Mamonovsky theaters of miniatures.

Keywords: оpera; parody; Russian cabaret; theatres of miniatures,«Distorting Mirror» («Krivoe zerkalo»), «The Bat», «Cruel Baron»,«Action on the protest bill»..