The Structure of the Musical Theatre Repertoire in the New Regional Theatre (1892-1903)

Abstract

The opening of the new Regional Theatre at the beginning of the 1892/93 season, a hill decade after the devastating fire, was a turning point in the performing history of the Slovene musical theatre. The foundation stone for operatic performances of the Slovene theatre was laid in 1889; however, adequate working conditions were given only under the roof of the new theatre building, which was to be shared with the German administration. Whereas guesting German theatre companies carried on with the longstanding tradition of theatrical performances, the Slovenes, from the very beginning, started unencumbered. The very first season revealed the difference. While the German side adjusted its repertoire to the abilities of seasonal performers, and gave only a few (or even no) operatic performances, the Slovenes, as regards their repertoire, attached special weight to operas. The present text focuses on the first decade of the new Regional Theatre's activities, commencing with the German repertoire, and, separately, dealing with the Slovene counterpart. On both sides, operatic premieres have been in the forefront of interest, accompanied by critical echoes in relevant local periodicals, such as the Laibacher Zeitung and the Ljubljanski zvon (The Ljubljana Bell). Taking into account the then prevailing conditions, the article aims at giving a structural profile of the repertoires of both theatres, leaving out the question of quality, since, due to the national factor, an objective evaluation of individual performances appears to be questionable and mutually comparable.