On Easter Sunday in 1874, the operetta "Die Fledermaus (The bat)" by Johann Strauss II was performed for the first time at the Theater an der Wien. The performance was quite successful. There were 40 performances en suite, and only the illness of a leading actress, who subsequently left the ensemble, ended the series. However, the special status of the operetta as the pinnacle of the entire genre was not recognized until later, first in Berlin and Budapest. In Vienna, the critics raised all sorts of objections after the premiere, especially against the libretto by Richard Genée. Today these objections are found ridiculous, and if the American film industry had already been in the habit of awarding particularly successful products with a whole series of awards, then "The Bat" would have deserved a few Oscars: at least for the music, but also for the cleverly structured book and for the best supporting role (because the prison servant frog later became the obligatory “third-act comedian” in operettas). And there would have been a special Oscar for the overture to "The Bat": because its ingenious structure, the charming interplay of motifs and its enchanting, brilliant verve was unmatched by any later operetta prelude. Like the entire operetta, it is a top work of its kind.
Johann Strauss (Sohn): Ouverture zu «Die Fledermaus» © by WJSO-Archive
Wednesday, 15. May 197421.00 o' clock São Paulo ⁄ Teatro Municipal
Concert in Sao Paulo 1st. South America-Tour
Kurt Woess conductor
Program Walter Goldschmidt : Feierliche Eröffnung Johann Strauss II : Ouverture to «Die Fledermaus» Johann Strauss II : Emperor Waltz op. 437 Johann Strauss II : Anna Polka op. 117 Break Johann Strauss II : Eljen A Magyar! « Long Live the Magyar!» / Quick polka op. 332 Josef Strauss : Watercolours / Waltz op. 258 Johann Strauss II : Cuckoo Polka / Polka française op. 336 Johann Strauss II : Perpetual Motion / Musical joke op. 257 Johann Strauss II : The Blue Danube / Waltz op. 314 Encore Johann Strauss I : Radetzky March op. 228
The fist South America tour started with some troubles. Some say, because of missing of promised subsidies, some because of mistakes of the organizers, the orchestra couldn't afford the cost for the flights, so the tour almost couldn't take place. The orchestra travelled after all then, only with a smaller cast. The people of Sao Paulo welcomed the orchestra anyway, especially those, who had german and austrian antecedents.
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