Richard Traubner

Richard Traubner (November 24, 1946 – February 25, 2013) was an American journalist, author, operetta scholar[1] and historian,[2] and lecturer on theatre and (mostly musical) film.

He also wrote reviews, liner and program notes and participated in theatre productions as translator, director and designer.

Of especial interest ... is the valuable detail Traubner gives about composers' backgrounds, training and career structure.

[6][12][13] The Gramophone wrote: "Operetta... is history in the best sense, not just chronology: the development and diffusion of operetta, the complex international web of influence, imitation and adaptation are firmly mapped... Traubner records not only the majority of noteworthy premières but the dates and places of notable foreign productions, as well as important or influential revivals, including modern ones....

He leaves plenty of space for reflection and comment, allowing the reader to trace such threads as the importance of topical reference, even parody (parody of grand opera, not least) in operetta and the crucial element of nostalgia in this genre.... Traubner's book, indeed, provides all the groundwork for a future study of operetta as an index of socio-political attitudes....