Theatre scholars and musicologists from Russia Poland Hungary Romania the Czech Republic
Austria and Germany came together in spring 2017 at the Center for Popular Culture and Music
for a symposium where they discussed for the first time the topic Popular Music Theatre under
Socialism: Operettas and Musicals in the Eastern European States 1945 to 1990. This involved
general questions such as: Did the uniform (prescribed) worldview lead to identical plays or
are there - in spite of a transnational ideology - national specific differences? And what did
these differences possibly look like? The authors of this volume describe the phases of
development the national Productions went through and what influence the import of plays from
abroad had on it whether from the fraternal socialist countries or the capitalistic West. They
examine the government guidelines for authors and composers over the decades. Who were the most
important authors and composers? Was there any socialist operetta any socialist musical? And
what political social and ideological topics were negotiated on stage? The volume demonstrates
the importance of a topic that has so far received little attention in research on European
theatre and music history.
