Opera Die Fledermaus (in 3 acts) Brilliant Classical Stanislavsky Ballet and Opera theatre (established 1887, founded by Stanislavsky)
Schedule for Die Fledermaus (in 3 acts) 2022
Composer: Johann Strauss
Orchestra: Stanislavsky theatre symphony orchestra
Synopsis
Act 1 Eisenstein's apartment
Gabriel von
Eisenstein has been sentenced to eight days in prison for insulting an official,
partially due to the incompetence of his attorney, Dr. Blind. Adele,
Eisenstein's maid, receives a letter from her sister, who is in the company of
the ballet, inviting her to Prince Orlofsky's ball. She pretends the letter says
that her aunt is very sick, and asks for a leave of absence ("My sister Ida
writes to me"). Falke, Eisenstein's friend, arrives to invite him to the ball
(Duet: "Come with me to the souper"). Eisenstein bids farewell to Adele and his
wife Rosalinde, pretending he is going to prison (Terzett: "Oh dear, oh dear,
how sorry I am") but really intending to postpone jail for one day and have fun
at the ball.
After Eisenstein leaves, Rosalinde is visited by her lover,
the singing teacher Alfred, who serenades her ("Dove that has escaped"). Frank,
the governor of the prison, arrives to take Eisenstein to jail, and finds Alfred
instead. In order not to compromise Rosalinde, Alfred agrees to pretend to be
Eisenstein and to accompany Frank. (Finale, drinking song: "Happy is he who
forgets" followed by Rosalinde’s defence when Frank arrives: "In tete-a-tete
with me so late," and Frank’s invitation: "My beautiful, large
bird-cage.")
Act 2 A summer house in the Villa Orlovsky
It
turns out that Falke, with Prince Orlofsky's permission, is orchestrating the
ball as a way of getting revenge on Eisenstein. The previous winter, Eisenstein
had abandoned a drunken Falke dressed as a bat (and thus explaining the opera's
title) in the center of town, exposing him to ridicule the next day. As part of
his scheme, Falke has invited Frank, Adele, and Rosalinde to the ball as well.
Rosalinde pretends to be a Hungarian countess, Eisenstein goes by the name
"Marquis Renard," Frank is "Chevalier Chagrin," and Adele pretends she is an
actress.
The ball is in progress (Chorus: "A souper is before us") and
the Prince welcomes his guests ("I love to invite my friends"). Eisenstein is
introduced to Adele, but is confused as to who she really is because of her
striking resemblance to his maid. ("My lord marquis," sometimes referred to as
"Adele's Laughing Song").
Then Falke introduces the disguised Rosalinde
to Eisenstein (Csбrdбs: "Sounds from home"). During an amorous tкte-а-tкte, she
succeeds in extracting a valuable watch from her husband's pocket, something
which she can use in the future as evidence of his impropriety. (Watch duet: "My
eyes will soon be dim"). In a rousing finale, the company celebrates (The
Drinking song: "In the fire stream of the grape"; followed by the canon:
"Brothers, brothers and sisters"; and the ballet and waltz finale, "Ha, what
joy, what a night of delight.")
Act 3 In the prison offices of Governor
Frank
The next morning they all find themselves at the prison where the
confusion increases and is compounded by the jailer, Frosch, who has profited by
the absence of the prison director to become gloriously drunk.
Adele
arrives to obtain the assistance of the Chevalier Chagrin (Melodrama; Couplet of
Adele: "If I play the innocent peasant maid") while Alfred wants nothing more
than to get out of jail. Knowing of Eisenstein's trickery, Rosalinde wants to
begin an action for divorce, and Frank is still intoxicated.
Frosch
locks up Adele and her sister Ida, and the height of the tumult arrives when
Falke appears with all the guests of the ball and declares the whole thing is an
act of vengeance for the "Fledermaus". (Trio between Rosalinde, Eisenstein,
Alfred: "A strange adventure"). Everything is amicably arranged (with Eisenstein
blaming the intoxicating effects of champagne for his act of infidelity and
Orlofsky volunteering to support Adele's artistic career), but Eisenstein is
compelled to serve his full term in jail (Finale, "Oh bat, oh bat, at last let
thy victim escape").
Schedule for Die Fledermaus (in 3 acts) 2022
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