This CD includes both ADD and DDD recordings.
The premise that the title of this CD suggests may be debatable, but, in any case, it offers a fine sampling of works from the world of operetta. What came to be regarded as operetta originated in Paris in the 1850s, particularly with the works of Jacques Offenbach, as an alternative to opéra comique and vaudeville. However, operetta as an art form blossomed in Vienna in the hands of such masters as Johann Strauss and, later, Franz Lehar.
Composers ranging from Offenbach to Robert Stolz are represented in performances by past masters such as Fritz Wunderlich and Mario Lanza, and fine contemporary artists such as Jerry Hadley and Frederica von Stade. Julia Migenes, in particular, offers engaging accounts of two songs by Stolz, one of the last proponents of Viennese operetta. Stolz also achieved fame as a conductor of classical operetta and his work in that capacity can also be found in this collection.
An argument could be made that a chronological ordering of the selections would provide a better overview of the genre, however, the quality and variety of the works and performances assure a fine representation and an excellent starting point for an exploration of an under-exposed art form.