STATEMENTS FOR THE IDEA OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OPERETTA FOUNDATION

INGOLF ROSSBERG, mayor of the state capital Dresden: ...on the occasion of your attendance in the state capital Dresden you are cordially welcome. The art and culture city Dresden is the place of the only independent operetta theatre in Germany, the "Staatsoperette Dresden", and it is proud on it, because this theatre continues the rich traditions of the musical theatres in Dresden with dignity, which you are connected for by family origin and profession. With interest I have heard from your plan to establish a European foundation for the care and renewal of the operetta. I am pleased that you invited Mr. Schaller (director of the "Staatsoperette Dresden") to participate in the executive commitee. The "Staatsoperette Dresden", which is carried against its name alone from the state capital Dresden, enjoys a high appreciation. My avowed goal is it to provide for a new, worthy play place in the centre of the city....I.R.

Dr. ALEX F. LEHÁR: ... If you feel that our membership in name is helpful to your organization, we are of course delighted to be associated with it.

Dr. EDUARD STRAUSS: ...I feel conscious of the fact that our two projects do not fit 100% to each other at first view, but I think we could obtain undreamt-of synergies with some good will on both sides - said in modern terms -! In this sense I would be very gladly ready to belong as a member to your foundation advisory board...

GEMA-FOUNDATION: ...The purpuse of the European foundation for the care and renewal of the operetta, in establishment, plans among other things the advancement of young composers, authors and stage directors for the elevated popular musical stage art. I could imagine that the GEMA foundation will support determined projects of this kind for each individual case. Finally the advancement of the new generation of composers and authors in the range of the popular musical stage art belongs to the main goals of advancement of the GEMA foundation.

FRANZ GROTHE-FOUNDATION: ...The purpose of the Franz-Grothe-foundation is in particular the advancement of the new generation of artists of the popular music section, in particular also the popular musical stage art, the operetta. In the statute of your foundation the advancement of young artists with operetta specific stage subjects plans singing, dance, play and is completely similar to the purpose of the Franz-Grothe-foundation. I could therefore imagine that our foundation can support certain projects for each individual case...

DRAMATIC UNION.: ...congratulations and thanks on your idea to bring a European foundation for the care and renewal of the operetta into being. The operetta is an indispensable part in the history of the musical theatres. How the name operetta expresses it comes as a small opera from the classical opera and forms at the same time one of the most important bases of the modern musical.... I am gladly ready to be cooperated to the advisory board of your foundation and this both in my characteristic as composer as also as president of the dramatic union...

yours GERD NATSCHINSKI

ROMAN DOSTAL (son of composer NICO DOSTAL)... With large interest and complete agreement to its extent I have got your information material to the European foundation for the care and renewal of operetta. This activity seems to me to be extremely important, because the art kind operetta has been very neglected in the past.... In this sense I may inform you that I am obviously ready to be at your disposal to give my full help and assistance....

EVA-MARIA RAYMOND: (widow of composer  FRED RAYMOND) …This European foundation for the care and renewal of the operetta will provide a piece of European culture history again for validity. The plan has my agreement and earns support, which I would also do in case of realization....

INGRID KREUDER: (widow of composer  PETER KREUDER) ...I read your information brochure for the establishment of the European foundation for the care and renewal of the operetta and would be gladly become a member in the artistic advisory board of the foundation and to help you with advice and action, from case by case basis also to support financially the goals and contents of this project...

DIETRICH SCHRÖDER: (son of composer  FRIEDRICH SCHOEDER). ...We are pleased that you apply the courage, so briefly after the financial desaster of the operetta theatre Metropol (in Berlin), after which it would have to be actually dead in Berlin, to raise in the capital again for this art form the voice. The extraordinary success of the "Dresdner Staatsoperette" shows that the operetta lives....

DIETER LINDNER: (legal successor of the composer WALTER BROMME) ...I feel the establishment of your foundation to the care and renewal of the operetta as very important, because thereby cultural property, not only German, is to be protected and advanced. Likewise could be given to recent new generation talents the possibilities to support them for the further training of this musical stage art...

Dr. STEFAN FREY: (music scientist and author) ...A great idea, which will find hopefully an appropriate resonance. Because the operetta unfortunately requires the "care and renewal", also to the fact that it is still very much liked. But above all that the young generation (to which also I count myself), which did not experience its bloom or late bloom should be able to become acquainted with it as authentically as possible. Whenever that happened in the past....the audience has been enthusiastically, particularly the young, which had no idea from operetta at all or even a wrong meaning of it. And there could be some treasures to be lifted in this regard! Therefore is the foundation purpose with its emphasis of the advancement of young people of special importance....The fact that in addition new stage works will be promoted is only to welcome especially in my own person as author of a modern operetta stage play. As scientist of operetta is to me the scientific clear off extremely important. I would be to the appropriate tasks of the foundation with pleasure at the disposal....


  MARTA EGGERTH KIEPURA: (famous operetta soprano and widow of famous operetta tenor JAN KIEPURA) ...

I received your nice letter and I am pleased that you decided yourself to take over this "noble role". The operetta is the basis to the musical theatre - in addition naturally also the opera belongs - and I do not regard the operetta at all as "the lighter Muse". It is not at all easier, but only "cheerfully"... We must place the operetta again on a pedestal,  otherwise is each trouble in vain. The operetta to promote is not enough; it arrives totally on it, how one does it. It is an "antique art", which we must estimate in such a way in which it is and should not try to modernize it. I would also not like to insert that the legs of my beautiful conventional old-fashioned chair are cut in order to install new modern legs. - In this sense I wish you toi-toi-toi and participate with my heart to your activity, yours M.E.K.