ABSTRACT
THE TURN of the century was a paradoxical period for operetta in Paris. Certain theatres disappeared, while others noted for their operettas switched over to non-operetta presentations. The opéra-bouffe became an endangered species, while the phenomenon of the vaudeville-opérette had escalated, ensuring snappy little comic couplets, marches, ballads, and little else. Musical comedy had begun in England, and its somewhat cheapening effects were felt in France, Germany, and Austria, though, to be fair, these countries had always had their farces with songs. By 1901 the number of operettas opening in Paris had dropped drastically, and their level of quality had likewise fallen.
