Strauss Fledermaus Overture
Strauss Fledermaus Overture Program Notes
Strauss’ Fledermaus Overture has a convoluted plot with many comedic opportunities. Prince Orlofsky is throwing a ball (in the original version it was to be a New Year’s party), and there are all sorts of ploys at hand. The character Falke is trying to visit revenge on his friend, Eisenstein, who, in the night of a costume party, had left Falk, drunk and disoriented, in the center of town. Falk was dressed as a bat, thus the operetta’s title. Conspiring with Eisenstein’s wife, Falk has arranged for her to attend the ball disguised as an alluring Hungarian noblewoman. Eisenstein is completely enchanted, haplessly so. Near the end of the party, the clock strikes six AM (who goes to such parties?!) which we hear, anticipated in the overture, and Eisenstein has to rush off to serve a prison sentence, since he had insulted a minor official…it’s a complicated plot, but ends with forgiveness for all. Johann Strauss II Born: October. 25 1825 Vienna, Austrian Empire Died: June 3, 1899 (aged 73) Vienna, Austria-Hungary
The Overture to Die Fledermaus (The Bat) is the orchestral introduction to Johann Strauss II’s most beloved operetta, composed in 1874. It is a sparkling, witty piece that weaves together the most memorable tunes from the operetta.
Die Fledermaus was premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on April 5, 1874, and became one of the most celebrated operettas ever written.
A typical performance of the overture lasts approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
Listen for the bubbling, champagne-like energy throughout, and the infectious can-can like passages that make it almost impossible to sit still. The overture is a perfect distillation of the glamour and fun of Viennese operetta.
Strauss composed Die Fledermaus in just 42 days, an astonishing feat given the quality and complexity of the music. The operetta premiered to enormous success and has remained in continuous performance ever since, making it one of the most durable works in the entire operetta repertoire.
