Table Of ContentTHE DEVELOPMENT OP THE MUSICAL COMEDY
AS AN EDUCATIONAL MEDIUM IN THE
UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS'
A Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the College of Music
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Music
by
Hamilton M. Maddaford, Jr.
August 1950
UMI Number: EP61878
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This thesis, written by
......Hami 11 on MMaddaford, . Jr...........
under the guidance of h.±a.. Faculty Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Council on
Graduate Study and Research in partial fulfill
ment of the requirements for the degree of
Date August.,...19.5.0.
Faculty Commiftej
TABLE OP CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE PROBLEM..................... 1
The p roblem.................................. 1
Statement of the problem................... 1
Importance of the s t u d y ................... 2
Definitions of terms u s e d ................... 2
Operetta or light opera ................... 2
Musical comedy .............................. 3
Musical play . ............................... If
Musical r e v u e .............................. if
Organization of the thesis............... . . . 5
Related studies .............................. 7
Method of procedure......................... 11
II. EUROPEAN ANCESTORS OP THE MUSICAL COMEDY . . . . 12
Greece................... .. . ............. 12
Comedy melodrama............................ llf
Introduction of principal characters . . . . 15
Writers of chorus comedies................. l6
Character comedies ......................... 17
Rome........................................... 18
The orchestra in Roman comedies........... 19
W r i t e r s .................................... 20
Italy .................................. 21
Secular m u s i c ......... • .................. 21
■ ill
CHAPTER PAGE
Opera B u f f a ................................ 22
Composers of opera buffa ................... 23
Ro csmi • 2i.|„
France........................................ 25
Troubadours and Trouveres ................. 26
Vaudeville............................. 26
Opera comique.............................. 27
Composers of opera comique.............. . 29
G e rm any ...................................... 32
Minnesingers and Meistersingers ........... 32
Composers of Singspeils ................... 33
Composers of German Romantic Opera .......... 36
Austrian Valse Opera ....................... 37
E n g l a n d ...................................... 38
Bards and Minstrels....................... 36
Madrigals.................................. 39
Masques . . . ............................ 39
Ballad opera................................ I4.O
Burlesques.................................. i|.l -
Gilbert and Sullivan....................... i|ij.
III. THE AMERICAN MUSICAL C O M E D Y ................... 1|.7
John Phillip Sousa................... lj.8
Reginald De Koven ....................... i|_9
Victor Herbert .............................. 5l
iv
CHAPTER PAGE
Minor composers............................ 5^j-
Rudolf Friml................................ 57
Sigmund R o m b e r g................... 58
George Gershwin ............................ 60
Irving Berlin .............................. 62
Jerome K e r n ...........'................... 63
Richard Rodgers............................ 66
IV. EDUCATIONAL VALUES OP THE MUSICAL COMEDY . . . . 76
Self-expression in the young child........
In the adolescent......................... 77
In the adult................................ 78
The musical comedy as a -unifying project . . 80
Variety of vocal training ................. 8l
Pronunciation and enunciation ............. 82
Part singing.................. 83
Intonation.................................. 8ij.
Following the conductor ................... 85
Memorization................................ 86
Pre-vocation training for instrumentalists . 86
Manuscript reading ......................... 88
Correction of p a r t s ....................... 88
Training in accompanying ................. 89
Following the conductor ............. 90
Transposition.............................. 91
V
CHAPTER _ PAGE
Theory classes............................. 91
Appreciation and history classes ............ 92
The drama department . . . . . . ........... 93
Physical education department . . . . . . . 95
Art department.............................. 9&
Set design.................................. 97
Costume design .............................. 97
Set painting................................ 9$
Advertising posters ....................... 98
Manual arts department..................... 99
Carpentry classes . ..................... 99
Electrical s h o p ........................... 100
Radio shop.................................. 100
Stage crew ............................ 101
Business department....................... 102
Accounts.................................... 103
Tickets . *................................. 103
Publicity.................................. 10Ip
Relation of the production to the community 105
Public relation value ..................... 105
Stimulating interest in the music program . 106
Audience building..................... 108
V. PRODUCTION HINTS ................................ 109
Libretto.................................... 109
Vi
CHAPTER PAGE
S o l o s ................... .*................. 110
Chorus parts ................................ Ill
Dancing .............................. 112
Orchestral parts ............................ 112
Costuming.................................. 113
Scenery.................................... 113
Choosing the production................... Ili4.
Training the c h o r u s ....................... 117
Assignment of p a r t s ....................... 118
Importance of t e m p o ..................... . 119
Enunciation................................ 120
Intonation and interpretation ............. 120
Early combined rehearsals................. 121
Basic stage positions..................... 121
The musical comedy orchestra............... 122
Rescoring the orchestrations ............... 126
Training the orchestra ..................... 127
Use of amplification....................... 127
VI. SUMMARY........................................ 129
Conclusions . ......................... 137
Recommendations for further s t u d y ........... 139
BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................... li)-0
APPENDIX A ............................................. li)-7
APPENDIX B ............................................. 158
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM
During recent years the musical comedy has been gaining
greater recognition and respect in musical circles of America.
Millions of dollars are spent annually by the public to attend
the latest productions and to purchase phonograph recordings
of the musical selections. Current trends in improving both
the musical and dramatic content of these productions warrant
an investigation of the educational possibilities inherent in
the musical comedy.
I. THE PROBLEM
Statement of the problem. It was the purpose of this
study (1) to trace briefly the historical development of the
musical comedy from its European background through its ac
ceptance as a typically American art form; (2) to show how
favorable educational outcomes such as promotion of student
initiative and leadership, intra-school cooperation, and
sound public relations between the school and the community
as well as practical musical experience, may stem from musi
cal comedy productions; (3) to survey available materials
with regards as to their production in high schools, junior
colleges and colleges; (I4.) to point out methods of adapting
professionally conceived productions to amateur or school
2
situations without weakening their structure and (5) to provide
practical aids to music and drama instructors in solving
problems of organization, promotion,»and production.
Importance of the study. Despite the wide public
acceptance of the musical comedy as an entertainment medium,
very little, if any, literature is available on its histori
cal growth and importance. Isolated reviews by music critics
of current productions may be found in newspapers and peri
odicals, but no attempt has been made to compile reference
materials on the subject. Busy drama and music teachers have
overlooked the educational possibilities of musical comedies
because there has not been any study of this field with re
gards to school production. Although the light opera or
operetta has been the subject for several books and theses,
no such study has been made in the field of the musical play.
Also, the latest research, at this university, into the
related field of operetta production was made over ten years
ago and since then many new production techniques and materials
have been made available for use by amateur groups, thus
making a re-evaluation of the subject mandatory.
II. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
Operetta or light opera. The terms light opera and
operetta are the broad general classifications that have
