Overture to Die Fledermaus

The name of Strauss is today synonymous with Viennese dance music. And though there are many such dances and also many such Strausses, the name usually summons up a waltz written by Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-99), the so-called “Waltz King.” This evening’s selection, however, comes from a larger work written for the stage. By far his most popular operetta is Die Fledermaus (The Bat), which premiered in Vienna in April 1874. The work’s overture perfectly typifies the genre, filled with all the operetta’s main themes juxtaposed in a kind of sonata form structure. Themes in the first group are in duple meter and include numerous march and gallop ideas. The second group features the beloved waltz, which ranks among Strauss’ finest. The entire overture, in fact, can claim to be one of his best creations—sparkling orchestration, a perfect curtain-raiser filled with brilliant themes ranging from tender to comic.

(c) Jason Stell