JOHANN STRAUSS : DIE FLEDERMAUS

STRAUSS'S FLEDERMAUS 
(The Bat Man, or The Man in the Flittermouse Costume)

Radio New Zealand Concert network
Sunday 31st of January 2016 at 6.o5 -  9.35 pm
Sunday 9th of February 2014 at 6.03 -9.45 pm
Sunday 27th of October 2013 at 3.03 - 5 pm
Sunday 5th of February 2012 at 3 pm
Sunday 24th of August 2007 at 3 pm

INTRODUCTION
COMPOSER
SYNOPSIS
LIBRETTO
J STRAUSS II: Die Fledermaus, an operetta in three acts
An English translation of the classic Viennese adaptation of a French tale by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. It's a witty story full of domestic intrigues and disguises in which the misdemeanours are all laid at the door of King Champagne
2016
Eisenstein......................... Toby Spence
Rosalinde.......................... Susanna Philips
Adele................................ Lucy Crowe
Prince Orlofsky................ Susan Graham
Ida.................................... Betsy Wolfe
Alfred............................... Dimitri Pittas
Dr Falke............................ Paulo Szot
Dr Blind........................... Mark Schowalter
Frank................................ Alan Opie
Ivan.................................. Jason Simon
Frosch............................... Christopher Fitzgerald
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/James Levine
2014
Gabriel von Eisenstein......... Christopher Maltman
Rosalinde.............................. Susanna Philips
Adele..................................... Jane Archibald
Ida......................................... Betsy Wolfe
Alfred.................................... Michael Fabiano
Dr Falke................................ Paulo Szot
Dr Blind................................ Mark Schowalter
Frank..................................... Patrick Carfizzi
Prince Orlovsky.................... Anthony Roth Costanzo
Frosch................................... Danny Burstein
Natalie.................................. Maria D'Amato
Faustine................................ Jean Braham
Hermine................................ Anne Nonnemacher
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/Ádám Fischer

Here it is again: that batty opera or operetta, a Viennese comedy based on a French farce that was written by Offenbach's best wordsmiths. The Fledermaus (not a vampire) never appears, but the title refers to a bat's costume worn to a fancy-dress ball by Dr Falke (a falcon in the guise of a bat!). Falke's prankster-friend Gabriel von Eisenstein left him sleeping in it on a park bench, with the result that Falke became a public laughing stock in the morning. (This was before Batman was invented, otherwise he would have been hailed as a hero, and the girls would have been screaming 'Where's Robin?'). That had happened two years previously, and Falke has been biding his time, but is now ready for revenge. Eisenstein has to go to prison to serve a short sentence, and Falke persuades Eisenstein to attend Prince Orlofsky's party before entering the penitentiary. So, Eisenstein does not go straight to jail, and he does not collect 200 Deutschmarks, though his disguised wife Rosalinde cunningly relieves him of his gold watch at the party, to present as damning evidence in the morning. Falke has set this trap for him; Rosalinde is pretending to be a Hungarian countess, and she is observing how her husband behaves away from home; and he gets amorous with this alluring masked woman.

Now, I must confess that I have never been inside a theatre where this musical comedy was being performed. So my reminiscences will be about audio and video recordings. I can say, however, that I have played the overture, when I was a trumpeter in a German wind band in Canberra in 1976.

In my youth I constructed a crystal set, the simplest of radio receivers. I still managed to get the two main wires crossed, and it took me weeks to sort it out, by sheer accident, and at last there was music in my ears coming through army-disposal headphones (2000 ohms). One night I went to sleep with them on, and I awoke a few hours later to hear the overture to Die Fledermaus, conducted by one Richard Tauber. I knew who he was: the tenor who sang "Girls were made to love and kiss" (an opinion I had shared since I was four years old).

Later in life my wife Helen and I were staying in Birmingham. It is amazing how one's genes can drive one back to where they came from. My ancestor George Colless was sent from there to Botany Bay for committing a felony, but I did not know that at the time. It was New Year and there was a television broadcast of Die Fledermaus from Covent Garden. You have seen this one on video: gorgeous Kiri Te Kanawa, wonderful Hermann Prey, genial Benjamin Luxon (before his voice cracked), and the famous conductor was ... Placido Domingo.

What is it with these tenors wanting to be conductors? (George Bush Jr leapt up onto a podium recently and conducted a large orchestra; he is a terror, or a tenor in the sense or non-sense of "a general drift of thought".) Well, Tauber's father wanted him to be a conductor, and Richard gained a diploma of conducting and composition in Frankfurt, but he achieved fame as an opera singer, and as the lead tenor in Lehar's operettas. Eventually he took refuge in England. He composed Old Chelsea and conducted Gay Rosalinda (an English adaptation of Die Fledermaus).

I have picked up a number of audio black-disk versions along the way: Otto Ackermann and the Philharmonia, with Christa Ludwig as Orlofsky; Clemens Krauss and the Vienna Philharmonic, with Julius Patzak as Eisenstein and Hilde Gueden as Rosalinde; Willi Boskovsky and the Vienna Symphony, with Nicolai Gedda as Eisenstein, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Falke, and Anneliese Rothenberger as Rosalinde.

Less authentic but closer to home is this box set: "Live (Grrrrrrrrrrr. See why I am growling here) from the Sydney Opera House", with Richard Bonynge the conductor (need I say more?). The New Zealand singers are Anson Austin as Alfred, and Heather Begg as Orlofsky. Rosalinde is, of course, Joan Sutherland, and the text is in English. So, when Rosalinde sees her maid Adele (Monique Brynnel, from Sweden) at the party, she exclaims (I am quoting from memory): "She's wearing my gown ... cut down".

SYNOPSIS
THE BATMAN OPERA
DIE FLEDERMAUS Johann Strauss
(The Flittermouse, La Chauve-souris)
The Bat is the short title, La Chauve-souris is the French name for it, and there is a lot of French in it (French words and expressions, anyway).
Here is the cast (as they appeared in a 1972 movie)
Gabriel von Eisenstein gentleman of leisure Tenor (or Baritone)  (Eberhard Wächter)
Rosalinde von Eisenstein  his wife Soprano  (Gundula Janowitz)
Adele  chambermaid  Coloratura Soprano (Renate Holm)
Ida her sister, in the ballet (Sylvia Lukan)
Alfred  singer  Tenor (Waldemar Kmennt)
Dr Blind  lawyer  Tenor Buffo (stutters) (Erich Kuchar)
Dr Falke  notary (Heinz Holecek)
Prince Orlofsky  rich Russian  Tenor or Soprano in trousers  (Wolfgang Windgassen)
Frank  prison governor  Baritone  (Erich Kunz)
Frosch  jailer Comedian (Otto Schenk, also director and arranger of this production!)
Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)  Karl Böhm  1972 (a studio film)
Wolfgang Windgassen (1914-1974, died of a heart attack), who takes the role of Orlofsky, was a great Wagnerian tenor, who played  all the heroic roles at Bayreuth from 1951 to 1970.; his voice was not stentorian, but very appealing.

Overture (contains many of the tunes)
Act 1  Eisenstein’s home
Alfred, Rosalinde’s rejected suitor, is still pining after her; his serenade is heard, outside.
Adele, the maid, has received a letter, purportedly from her sister Ida, inviting her to borrow an evening dress and come to a party at Prince Orlofsky’s place.
Rosalinde would like to entertain Alfred, but fears a scandal.
Eisenstein is about to go to jail for insulting an official (a policeman), and he arrives home with his lawyer, named Blind, enraged because his sentence has been increased from 5 days to 8; he blames Blind for this.
His friend Dr Falke arrives (he is seeking revenge for an incident when Eisenstein made a fool of him, involving a bat costume, hence the title of the operetta, and he is manipulating everyone to this end ). He suggests that Eisenstein could attend the party and then present himself at the prison next morning; he could use his repeating watch as an aid to charming ladies. He dresses up for it, bids his wife a fond farewell and leaves.
Alfred takes his place and urges Rosalinde to drink and dine with him.
Herr Frank comes to escort Eisenstein to his prison (he is on his way to Orlofsky’s party).
Alfred has to pretend to be her husband, and submit to be taken away, after a tender kiss.
(As we shall see, Adele will secretly go to the ball, as also Rosalinde.)

Act 2  Orlofsky’s home
Adele is at the party in a gown from her mistress’s wardrobe, and so is Ida, who did not write the invitation (it was Falke).
Orlofsky is bemoaning his unhappy state: the more wealth, the less laughter.
Dr Falke offers him a cure: he has prepared a dramatic jest entitled The Bat’s Revenge, and he introduces two of the principal characters: an artiste named Olga (Adele), and the Marquis Renard (Eisenstein), who is immediately subjected to a trial by vodka.
Orlofsky’s aria: he will punish any guest who does not enjoy what he offers them.
Olga and the Marquis confront each other; with her acting skill she puts him in his place.
Frank arives, from the prison, calling himself the Chevalier Chagrin; he holds a meaningless conversation with the Marquis, both spouting French words and names.
A Hungarian countess appears, masked and determined not to show her face. She recognizes her dress on Olga and her husband in the guise of the Marquis, who starts flirting with her.
Eisenstein loses his head and his watch, which disappears into Rosalinde’s bosom.
The Countess proves her Hungarian identity by singing a cszardas.
Orlofsky proposes a toast to King Champagne, the guests imbibe it, call one another Brother and Sister, use the familiar pronoun ”Du”, and share intimate kisses.
The watch rings out the time (6 am), and the new friends, Frank and earnest Eisenstein hurry away, not knowing they are going to the same place!

Act 3 Frank’s prison (37m)
Frank appears at his workplace; his officer Frosch has been holding forth for some time.
Lots of slapstick. Adele arrives (with Ida), looking for a patron to get her on the stage.
Eisenstein comes to serve his sentence; he and Frank recognize each other, but not as their true selves; Eisenstein (singing opera) is already in his cell, supposedly. Blind turns up,.
Eisenstein disguises himself in Blind’s lawyer-attire and interviews Rosalinde and Alfred (who is in Gabriel’s dressing gown). Accusations and false explanations abound, but the presentation of his watch as evidence closes the case.
In come the Prince and the rest of the party guests, including Falke, who tells what he has done.
Frank will make an actress of Adele if she is nice to him.
The Champagne chorus returns for the grand finale.

Sunday 27th of October 2013 at 3.03 - 5 pm
J STRAUSS II: Die Fledermaus, an operetta in three acts
Gabriel von Eisenstein.......... Dietrich Henschel
Rosalinde.............................. Andrea Röst
Adele..................................... Bernarda Bobro
Ida......................................... Julie Mossay
Alfred.................................... Pavol Breslik
Dr Falke................................ Ivan Ludlow
Dr Blind................................ Dietmar Kerschbaum
Frank..................................... Lionel Lhote
Prince Orlofsky..................... Tania Kross
Frosch.................................... Georg Nigel
La Monnaie Chorus & Orch/Adám Fischer
(recorded in the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels by Belgium Radio)

Sunday 5th of February 2012 at 3 pm
An archive broadcast from January 20, 1951 of
J STRAUSS II: Die Fledermaus, an operetta in three acts
English version
Eisenstein...................... Charles Kullman
Rosalinde...................... Marguerite Piazza
Adele............................ Patrice Munsel
Ida................................ Nana Gollner
Alfred........................... Richard Tucker
Dr Falke....................... John Brownlee
Dr Blind........................ Paul Franke
Frank............................ Hugh Thompson
Prince Orlovsky............ Risë Stevens
Frosch.......................... Jack Gilford
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/Eugene Ormandy (EBU)

 Sunday 24th of August 2007 at 3 pm
J STRAUSS II: Die Fledermaus, an operetta in three acts
von Eisenstein................ Bo Skovhus
Rosalinde...................... Ildikó Raimondi
Prince Orlovsky............ Elisabeth Kulman
Dr Falke....................... Morten Frank Larsen
Adele............................ Diana Damrau
Frosch.......................... Robert Meyer
Frank............................ Wolfgang Bankl
Alfred........................... Herwig Pecoraro
Dr Blind........................ Peter Jelosits
Ida................................ Bori Keszei
Vienna State Opera Chorus & Orch/Bertrand de Billy
(recorded at the State Opera, Vienna on 8th January by Austrian Radio)