Johann Strauß

Die Fledermaus: Overture

The comic operetta DIE FLEDERMAUS (The Bat) by Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) is the composer's best known operetta, though "The Waltz King" is perhaps better remembered yet for his contributions to that uniquely Habsburg Vienna dance with the infectious rhythm. Telling a farcical tale of practical jokes, masked identities, the test of true love, and other shenanigans, the original source is a play by German playwright Julius Roderich Benedix (Das Gefängnis), which was translated into a French vaudeville play, "Le réveillon" by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, which was then translated back to German by Karl Haffner, whose translation was finally used as the source for the libretto by Richard Genèe. Written following a couple of less successful efforts to enter the opera world, this light opera premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on April 5th, 1874, and remains one of the most popular in the contemporary repertoire. The overture also remains one of the most popular works in the orchestral repertoire. This version of the overture for military band was arranged by Charles Godfrey, Jr.