Die Fledermaus premiered in Vienna in 1874, in the year Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld hit Paris. Both were clearly operettas, light, comedic, stuffed with silly dialog and singable tunes, though both commanded a considerable orchestra and cast. (Interestingly Fledermaus wasn't a triumph three years later in Paris - too Viennese? - but by then it had already succeeded in New York and London.)
Johann Strauss II had created the perfect operetta for the times in Vienna. Gorgeous music, great waltzes, nonsense plot, including risque romance and the compulsory mistaken identities of silly stories. It also lampooned high society, mocked the indolent wealthy and elevated the chambermaid (and arguably the jail keeper). And while the spoken dialogue can drag a bit, the songs sweep it along and the opportunities for costuming, sets and choreography are endless. Especially the excessive ballroom of the filthy rich Count.
Met Opera went overboard in their 2013 production - read about the set here!
For Strauss, perhaps the critical ingredient was social mockery - and portrayal of the results of great wealth. 'Chacun à son goût!', sings the gender-ambivalent filthy rich Count Orlosky, justifying his awful behaviours to his adoring guests. (It translates literally as "(To) each one his taste" and colloquially as 'everyone for himself'. Check out the performance here in our production from mezzo Doris Soffel.
And the bat? It made great posters, but there aren't any bats. (Yes, Fledermaus translates as 'flying mouse', hence The Bat. But it refers to a long ago affront suffered by our anti-hero when drunk. (He still often is - there’s a lot about drinking.) That's required in classic late nineteenth century operetta, celebrating (and often mocking) high society and its excesses.
We’re nudging the turn of the century here - Johann Strauss, Jr., (1825 –1899) was already king of the polkas and waltzes of Viennese society – he composed over 500 - and Offenbach (1819 –1880) was his main rival in operetta. (Offenbach reportedly had told him, "You ought to write operettas, Herr Strauss.")
Brahms, (an exact contemporary, 1833- 1897, by the way) on hearing Fledermaus for the first time, is said to have remarked, “Now there is a master of the orchestra!”. He famously signed an autograph with a few bars of the Blue Danube and the words 'Alas, not by me'. Richard Strauss (unrelated Johann), when writing his waltzes for Rosenkavalier (1911), said of Johann Strauss, "How could I forget the laughing genius of Vienna?"
Die Fledermaus has a thoroughly batty plot, which you don’t need to know in advance. If you want a synopsis, Wiki of course will oblige. Or there's a spirited account here. Quick summary: a husband, his wife, her lover, a policeman, a serving maid walk in to the party of a sexually ambiguous host…” More detail re the songs here. But who needs a convincing story? This is the most often performed operetta, and it has blissful music.
Want a glimpse of what can be done with this overture? This year, in Munich, Barrie Kosky had his cast tell the story with those themes, fast - starting with Eisenstein dreaming of those bats!
The show’s overture is in the grand tradition established by Rossini and other composers of light opera - a preview of the tunes to come, including polkas and waltzes, melodies you’ve always known. Here you are - glory in it, on a spring evening in Vienna with Zubin Mehta conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The overture alone is operatic - tells a tale, uniting thematic material. It's a stable of New Year's Eve in Vienna, especially since it ends with the most famous toast to champagne. ‘Let’s praise the King of wine, Champagne!’ Here's the finale at the Met.
It’s not all waltzes. The famous songs are character acting ones. You will have heard Adele’s ‘laughing song’ - this is a recording of Edita Guberova in concert. She's rejecting the suggestion that she might be a maid (she is). (Go to the end of this blog to find a full opera recording with Guberova singing Adele.) And Rosalinde, the wronged and very wronging wife, has a famous farewell to the husband she's cheating on.
Rosalinde was a favourite role of Dame Joan Sutherland. Here is a 1982 video – of her parting from her husband with a high C as he leaves for prison. – here in “disguise” trapping him at the party (Robert Gard is her husband, as they sing the Watch Duet). Here's one for Sutherland fans - a wonderful audio recording of Act 1 from an English language production, San Francisco, September 14, 1973.
And then there’s that sexually ambiguous host, Count Orlovsky. Orlovsky is one of the wildest trouser roles for clever mezzos. In this course, way back, we heard the amazing Brigitte Fassbaender – here doing “his” “Chacun a son gout”. Compare with Malena Ernman's Orlofsky here. (Check out the gender bending - the next clip on Youtube is the same singer doing Olympia in a minidress.) Or a countertenor? German countertenor Jochen Kowalski. But Brigitte Fassbaender made Prince Orlofsky her own role. “A mezzo with a perfectly ”male” bearing, portrayed by both her acting and her looks.” There’s a wonderful article on Brigitte at 80 in Limelight.
Our performance
We're watching a long ago hilarious production at ROH. (The full opera recording has been removed from YouTube, but EBay produced a DVD!) A fav soprano for our group? Singing Rosalinde is Kiri Te Kanawa, who played the role in most top opera houses. Our highly valued tenor? We have, as Gabriel von Eisenstein, Hermann Prey.
The production, from 1984, is exquisitely designed with wonderful sets and colourful costumes. Hermann Prey is at his most energetic in the role of Eisenstein, and Kiri Te Kanawa in perfect voice as Rosalinde. Hildegarde Heichele is Adele, - here's her laughing song. And yes, Doris Soffel is a sheer delight as Prince Orlofsky.
....Conducted by - Placido Domingo!
What a treat - fabulous singing in a Full Opera online!
Yes indeed! There's a gem of a full opera version on YouTube.
No subtitles but you know the story, just turn it on and enjoy.
This gorgeous production was filmed in Vienna 1980. It's posted to YouTube by the baritone singing Eisenstein, Bernd Weikl! With him are Lucia Popp as Rosalinde - wow! and Erich Kunz (Frank), and the incomparable Brigitte Fassbänder as Prinz Orlofsky. And oh the glorious casting, Edita Gruberova is Adele, the maid who isn't!
Lyn, 8/8/24
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