The Portuguese comic operetta of the late 19th century

Abstract

In 1868, the burlesque operettas by the German composer, naturalized Frenchman, Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) were translated into Portuguese and had successful productions in Lisbon theaters, spreading their success across the country. The public’s appreciation for such shows will guarantee a long life for operettas in Portugal, especially in the last three decades of the 19th century. Although the repertoire was initially consisted of French titles, Portuguese authors and composers soon worked to develop the natio- nal comic operetta and some happy partnerships were formed. Among the authors, we highlight the names of Gervásio Lobato (1850-1895) and D. João da Câmara (1852-1908), who at the time had a large theatrical production. The musical scores were created by the conductor and musician Ciríaco de Cardoso (1846-1900). The main aim of this article is to recover part of the critical reception of some Portuguese comic operettas created by these three authors, such as O burro do Senhor Alcaide (1891), O solar dos Barrigas (1892) and O testamento da velha (1894), which sparked laughter and captivated audiences, not only in Portugal, but also in Brazil.