presents

DIE FLEDERMAUS

A Study Guide

Music by Johann Strauss IILibretto by Carl Haffner and Richard Genée

Based on the play Le Révellon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic HalévyFirst performed on April 5, 1874, Vienna, Austria

Sung in English

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................................2MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF OPERA PROVIDENCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS..................................................................................................................................3A Short Introduction to Opera.........................................................................................................4What is Operetta?............................................................................................................................5Audience Etiquette...........................................................................................................................6Cast List...........................................................................................................................................7Pronunciation Guide........................................................................................................................8Interesting Facts about Die Fledermaus..........................................................................................9The Composer................................................................................................................................11The Librettists – Carl Haffner and Richard Genée........................................................................12Background to Die Fledermaus.....................................................................................................12Synopsis.........................................................................................................................................13What to Listen For.........................................................................................................................15Glossary: Important Words in Opera.............................................................................................16Resources.......................................................................................................................................18THE LATE JOHANN STRAUSS.................................................................................................19Understanding the Story of Die Fledermaus.............................................................................23Writing a Review of Die Fledermaus.........................................................................................26

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

OF OPERA PROVIDENCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

It is with great pleasure that Opera Providence and its Board of Directors presents Strauss’ DIE FLEDERMAUS to the Rhode Island community. Strauss’ ever-popular operetta is a madcap comedy of light-hearted deceit, filled with lively dance and music. The synopsis of the opera includes a Bourgeois citizen, Eisenstein, who must go to prison because of an oversight by his lawyer. Hearing the news, Alfred, a former lover of Eisenstein’s wife, Rosalinda, decides to use Eisenstein’s absence as an opportunity to renew his courting of Rosalinda. The madcap comedy begins as Eisenstein’s friend, Falke, arrives and invites the unwitting husband to postpone his imprisonment for a few hours and attend a masquerade. Eisenstein and Falke depart for the masquerade and Alfred arrives at Rosalinda’s home, only to be mistaken for Eisenstein and carted off to jail. At the ball, Eisenstein is dazzled by a mysterious Hungarian countess who is none other than his wife in disguise. When he turns himself in at the jail, he finds Alfred and Rosalinda already there. The three confront each other, the rest of the cast magically appear, tension dissolves and all unite in singing the praises of champagne. Truly a comedic story designed to entertain the senses of all.

Opera Providence is both pleased and privileged to be presenting this remarkable work.  DIE FLEDERMAUS represents one of the most well known and greatest operettas written by Strauss. This Study Guide will give you insights into the development and existence of opera as an art form, the history of the times surrounding DIE FLEDEMAUS, and the complete background and storyline of the music you will see performed. Using the Study Guide will enhance the beauty of the music and the story to all students who attend DIE FLEDERMAUS.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Opera Providence, 

Robert A. DeRobbio, Ph.D.President

Joyce Stevos, Ph.D.Education Consultant

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A Short Introduction to Opera

An opera, like a play, is a dramatic form of theatre that includes scenery, props, and costumes. In opera, however, the actors are trained singers who sing their lines instead of speaking them. An orchestra accompanies the singers. A conductor coordinates both the singers on stage and the musicians in the orchestra pit.

Opera consists of many dimensions: the human voice, orchestral music, the visual arts (scenery, costumes and special effects), drama (tragedy or comedy), and occasionally dance. The melding of these elements can make you cry tears of joy or sadness, produce laughter or anger, but most importantly transport you to a magical land of music and song.

Opera has its roots in Greek drama and originated in Florence, Italy, in the late 1500’s, with a small group of men who were members of a Camerata (Italian for society). The intellectuals, poets and musicians of the Camerata decided they wanted words to be a featured aspect of music. They used ancient Greek drama as their inspiration, including the use of a chorus to comment on the action. The Camerata laid down three principles for their new art form:

The text must be understood; the accompaniment must be very simple and should not distract from the words.

The words must be sung with correct and natural declamation, as if they were spoken, and must avoid the rhythms of songs.

The melody must interpret the feeling of the text.

The first significant composer to develop fully the ideas of the Camerata was Jacopo Peri (1561-1633), whose opera Dafne, based on a Greek myth, was performed in 1594 and is regarded as the first opera. Operas continue to be composed today.

Operas are divided into scenes and acts that contain different types of vocal pieces for one or many singers. An aria is a vocal solo that focuses on a character’s emotions rather than actions. A recitative is sung dialogue or speech that occurs between arias and ensembles.

Composers write the score or the music for the opera. Sometimes the composer will also write the text of the opera, but most often, they work with a librettist. The story of the opera is written as a libretto, a text that is easily set to music. In the past, the libretto was also bound and sold to the audience. Today, the audience can easily follow the plot with the use of surtitles. Surtitles are the English translation of the libretto, and are projected onto the screen above the stage.

There are several differences between opera and musicals like Phantom of the Opera. One significant difference is the ‘partnership’ between the music and the drama in an opera. Musicals use songs to help tell a story while in an opera, the music contributes to the drama, it does not only accompany it. The musical style is another important difference between the two art forms; opera is usually classical and complex, while musicals feature pop songs and sometimes rock and roll. Also, singers in musicals have microphones hidden in their costumes or wigs to amplify their voices. The voices of opera singers are strong enough that no amplification is needed, even

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in a large venue. Furthermore, operas are almost completely sung, while musicals commonly use spoken words. Some operas have spoken words. These are called singspiel (German) and opera-comique (French). Examples are Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Bizet’s Carmen, respectively.

All terms in bold are defined in the Glossary.

From Manitoba Opera

What is Operetta?

The term operetta is often used to mean a light or comic piece. Operettas also fall under the category of Singspiel. This type of singing makes different demands on opera singers, who need training to be able to speak and project as well as sing. Much of the music is less demanding vocally and often uses lighter voices. Characteristically, the music of an operetta is melodic, popular and accessible, with stories that focus on love and romance.

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Audience Etiquette

The following list will help you (and those around you) enjoy the experience of a night at the opera:

Dress to be comfortable. Many people enjoy dressing up in formal attire. Arrive on time. Latecomers disturb the singers and others in the audience. Latecomers will only be seated

at suitable breaks – often not until intermission. Find your seat with the help of your teacher or an usher. Remove your hat. This is customary and is respectful to the artists and to people sitting behind you. Turn off cell phones, pagers, digital watch alarms, and all electronic devices. Leave your camera at home. A flash can be very disturbing to the artists and audience members alike. Save all conversations, eating and drinking, and chewing gum, for the intermission. Talking and eating can

be disruptive to other audience members and distracts from your ability to be absorbed by the show. The audience is critical to the success of the show = without you, there can be no performance.

Settle in and get comfortable before the performance begins. Read your program before the performance –

rustling through the program during the show can disrupt everyone. Clap as the lights are dimmed and the conductor appears and bows to the audience. Watch as the conductor

then turns to the orchestra and takes up his or her baton to signal the beginning of the opera. Listen to the prelude or overture before the curtain rises. It is part of the performance and is an opportunity

to identify common musical themes that may reoccur in the opera. Sit still during the performance. Only whisper when it is absolutely necessary, as a whisper is heard all

over the theatre, and NEVER (except in an emergency) stand during the performance. Applaud (or shout Bravo!) at the end of an aria or chorus piece to show your enjoyment. The end of a

piece can be identified by a pause in the music. Laugh when something is funny – this is a performance and you are expected to respond! Read the English surtitles projected above the stage. Most operas are not sung in English (Die Fledermaus

is sometimes sung in German, however Opera Providence’s performance will be sung in English). You may use the surtitles to help you understand the story.

Listen for subtleties in the music. The tempo, volume, and complexity of the music and singing often depict the “feeling” or “sense” of the action or character. Also, notice repeated words or phrases; they are usually significant.

Finally, have fun and enjoy the show!!!

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Cast List

Opera ProvidencePresents

Die Fledermaus

May 16 and 18, 2008Columbus Theater

Providence, Rhode Island

Setting: A spa town, near a big city

Cast

Rosalinde Von Eisenstein, Gabriel’s wife sopranoGabriel Von Eisenstein, Rosalinde’s husband tenorFrank, the Prison Warden baritonePrince Orlofsky, a Russian prince mezzo-sopranoAlfred, an Italian tenor tenorDr. Falke, Eisenstein’s friend baritoneBlind, a Lawyer tenorAdele, Rosalinde’s Chambermaid coloratura sopranoIda, Adele’s sister sopranoFrosch, the Jailer speaking roleYvan, the Prince’s valet speaking roleGuests and servants of the Prince

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Pronunciation Guide

Die Fledermaus........................................................................................Dee Flay-Der-Mouse

Rosalinde Von Eisenstein..........................................................Rosa-Linda fon Eyes-En-Stein

Gabriel Von Eisenstein................................................................Gabe-ri-el fon Eyes-En-Stein

Adele...............................................................................................................................A-dell

Dr. Falke…………………………………………………………………………...Dr. Falk-uh

Prince Orlofsky..............................................................................................Prince Or-lov-ski

Blind................................................................................................................................ ...Blint

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Interesting Facts about Die Fledermaus

Some have written that Die Fledermaus, opened on April 5, 1874 was such a failure that it had to be taken off stage after 16 nights. Not true! A visiting operatic company season had been pre-booked at the theater. After that season finished, the operetta returned for its second premiere opening September 1874.

When it premiered at the Theater an Der Wien on Easter Sunday, 1874, Die Fledermaus diverged in several ways from Viennese works that preceded it. Operetta audiences had come to expect elaborate costumes and stage design to accompany a story set in some distant land. But in this work, performers dressed in contemporary public attire instead of the fussy adornments typical of most operettas, and the sets required only the interiors of private homes and the local police station. While many operettas opened with a rousing chorus set in a large open space or outside, in Die Fledermaus, the curtain rose on a family living room and no chorus appears until the second act. Audiences and critics immediately noticed the departure from the norm; as the third act began at the work’s premiere, a listener in the balcony exclaimed, “Another room already!”

Some have written that the work was composed in 42 days. The fact is that although the work was sketched out in 6 weeks (42 days), 6 months elapsed from the start of the composition to production.

Geistinger, the first performer to play Rosalinde, had formerly performed Rosalinde’s csárdás. Assuming a disguise as a Hungarian countess provided the means for its inclusion at Prince Orlofsky’s party in the operetta.

The original Dr. Falke was Ferdinand Lebrecht who died of a heart attack on stage at the Theater an der Wien in September 1874. Alexander Girardi assumed his first Strauss role then and began a long association performing in other Strauss productions.

Originally, Prince Orlofsky was a mezzo-soprano. Since World War I, the role has been sung either by a mezzo or a baritone. Mezzo-sopranos often sing the parts of young men in opera.

The Austrian stock market crash of May 1873 left theaters scrambling to stay afloat in any way they could. With many fortunes ruined overnight, even enthusiastic theater goers were reluctant to spend money on tickets, much less invest in producing new, extravagant works. Theaters were forced to make do with existing sets and performers, who in those days were required to provide their own costumes. With Die Fledermaus, companies could present a more credible ensemble by wearing contemporary fashions instead of the exotic outfits of the past.

Die Fledermaus contains some of Strauss’ most easily grasped melodies, a quality for which he strove. Strauss once observed: “If an operetta is to become popular, everyone must find something in it that appeals to his taste…And the people in the balcony must

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also get something that they can remember, for these people have no money to buy piano scores and even fewer have a piano. There, one must manage to send them from the performance so that something immediately sticks in their ear!”

Former New York Mayor Rudolf Giuliani has appeared in two Metropolitan Opera performances of Die Fledermaus, singing O Solo Mio on his way to the Times Square New Year’s Eve party.

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The Composer

Johann (Baptist) Strauss II, the oldest son of celebrated composer and violinist Johann Strauss, was born in Vienna on October 25, 1825. Despite his great success, the elder Strauss was adamantly opposed to the idea of his son pursuing a career in music and intended Johann II to enter the banking profession. The younger Johann, however, displayed musical gifts at an early age. He began composing when he was six years old, and his mother arranged for him to secretly study violin with Franz Amon, the leader of his father's dance orchestra. When the senior Strauss abandoned the family, Johann pursued additional formal musical training. Johann II formed his own orchestra and made his professional debut as concertmaster and conductor in 1844, performing both his own works and those of his father. When his father died in 1849, Johann II combined the two orchestras. He was named Hofballmusik direktor from 1863 until 1871, and engaged his

brothers Josef and Eduard (both of whom were also composers) as conductors and violinists.

Johann II enjoyed tremendous success as both a composer and conductor, touring Europe, Russia, and the United States. He was (correctly) deemed the heir of his father's musical legacy, and inherited his father's title of "The Waltz King." Indeed, Johann Strauss II is best remembered for his waltzes and polkas, which include “An der schönen blauen Donau” (“On the Beautiful Blue Danube”) and the “Pizzicato-Polka,” which he wrote with his brother Eduard. Most of his better known dances were composed during the 1860's and early 1870's. He brought the Viennese waltz to its highest form with his gifts for melody, interesting harmonic structures, and clever orchestrations. By the 1870s, however, Strauss began to turn his attention towards the stage. Offenbach's comic operas were extremely popular n Vienna, and Strauss' first wife, the singer Henriette (Jetty) Treffz, joined members of the Vienna theater establishment in encouraging him to try his hand at operetta. After resigning his position as Hofballmusikdirektor in 1871, he devoted himself primarily to composing for the stage. Most of Strauss' subsequent dance music was excerpted from his operettas.

Johann II was not as comfortable with music for the stage as he was with waltzes and polkas. He found the necessity of working within a specific text confining, and would often compose scenes and entire finales with only a brief excerpt of the libretto as reference. He lacked a strong theatrical sense and was more proficient at instrumental than vocal writing. The enduring success of his two finest stage works, Die Fledermaus and Der Zigeunerbaron, is due in part to the excellent work of his librettists (Richard Genée for Die Fledermaus and Ignaz Schnitzer for Der Zigeunerbaron).

Strauss' first complete operetta, Indigo und die vierzig Räuber, premiered in 1871. The work was successful, as was his next operetta, Carneval in Rom, which debuted in 1873. Die Fledermaus (1874) is regarded as his masterpiece and the finest example of Viennese operetta.

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Strauss' works took operetta in a new direction, gradually veering away from the French opéras bouffes and evolving into a style that was purely Viennese. While Die Fledermaus is based upon the Offenbach model, Der Zigeunerbaron is a fusion of operetta with comic opera. Der Zigeunerbaron had serious as well as humorous elements, and established a new type of operetta that proved influential for other composers such as Lehár.

Strauss also aspired to compose serious opera. His efforts culminated in Ritter Pázmán, which premiered in 1892. It was not particularly successful, and Strauss resumed composing operettas. Many of his works underwent numerous revisions, sometimes as drastic as setting an entirely new libretto to the music. During his lifetime and after his death, there were many attempts to create new operettas based upon collections of his best-known dance compositions, particularly the waltzes.

Throughout his career, Strauss was very much in the public eye, both in Vienna and in his international travels. After the death of his first wife in 1878, he married the actress Angelika Dittrich. After nine years, Strauss separated from her and had to become a Protestant and give up his Austrian citizenship to divorce her. He then married Adele Strauss (her married name from a previous spouse who was not related to Johann's family). It was Adele who supported Johann's efforts to compose serious opera. Johann II became the most prominent member of the Strauss family. He died wealthy and famous in 1899.

From Arizona Opera

The Librettists – Carl Haffner and Richard Genée

The original source for Die Fledermaus is a farce by German playwright Julius Roderich Benedix (1811– 1873), Das Gefängnis (The Prison). Another source is a French vaudeville play, Le Réveillon, by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Their play was first translated by Carl Haffner (1804 – 1876) as a play to be produced in Vienna but was adapted into a libretto for Strauss; Jr. Richard Genée (1823 – 1895) became involved at this point to complete the adaptation. Genée is said to have taken credit for the translation of the play and to have claimed he never knew Haffner.

Background to Die Fledermaus

The Strauss family was Vienna’s leading musical family from the 1830s to the 1960s. It was Johann Strauss the elder and his oldest son, Johann, who essentially created what is now known as the “Viennese waltz.”

Die Fledermaus is an operetta, a musical form similar to operas but telling the story with ‘popular’music and more spoken dialogue. The operetta is considered to have originated in the 1850s in Paris by the composer Jacques Offenbach. He wrote one act comedies mocking the political and social climate of the time.

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The story of Die Fledermaus is based on a German play, Das Gefängnis (The Prison) and on the French vaudeville play, Le Réveillon, by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.Adapted from San Diego Opera’s Operapaedia.org

Synopsis

A C T 1

Eisenstein’s house

Rosalinde’s one time suitor, Alfred, serenades Rosalinde from off-stage. Rosalinde’s maid Adele enters and reads a letter from her sister inviting her to a party at prince Orlofsky’s. Adele pleads with Rosalinde to get the evening off but figures it hopeless. She tells Rosalinde her aunt is sick and that she needs the night off to look after her. But Rosalinde dismisses her request since Rosalinde’s husband, Eisenstein, is due in jail that night and Adele must stay.

Alfred enters and Rosalinde tells him to leave. Alfred agrees to go on the condition that he may come back when Eisenstein is in jail. Rosalinde consents.

Eisenstein enters with his stammering lawyer, Blind. Eisenstein is furious with Blind. They have been at court trying to reduce Eisenstein’s sentence, but the sentence has been lengthened instead. Eisenstein must leave immediately after supper.

Eisenstein’s friend Falke arrives and persuades Eisenstein to go to Prince Orlofsky’s. He tells Eisenstein his sentence can wait until the morning. Eisenstein is reluctant to go but the prospect of young, willing beauties wins him over. Eisenstein and Falke rejoice in anticipation of the night ahead. Rosalinde enters and finds their sudden gaiety queer. Her confusion continues as Eisenstein proceeds to put on his best suit. She shrugs it off and tells Adele that she can take the night off after all. All three go their separate ways after feigning great sadness for the loss of one another’s company.

Alfred arrives and puts on Eisenstein’s dressing gown and nightcap and begins drinking. Frank, the prison warden, arrives to escort Eisenstein to jail. He mistakes Alfred to be Eisenstein. Rosalinde implores Alfred to play along to save her reputation, so Frank takes him to jail.

A C T 2

Prince Orlofsky’s villa

All are enjoying themselves but Orlofsky. Orlofsky is terrifically bored but Falke has promised him entertainment. Falke tells him a farce called “The Bat’s Revenge” that will play out during the party. The actors are introduced one after another: first, the actress Olga (actually Adele); second, Marquis Renard (actually Eisenstein); third, Chevalier Chagrin (actually Frank); and

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finally, a Hungarian Countess (actually Rosalinde). All are aware of the ruse in varying degrees except Eisenstein and Frank, who are clueless.

Falke has sent a letter to Rosalinde stating that Eisenstein would be at the party. She arrives masked and finds Eisenstein flirting with Adele. Eisenstein next approaches Rosalinde and proceeds to charm her as best he can. Rosalinde steals his watch to prove his infidelity in the morning. With Orlofsky’s support, Rosalinde, as the Hungarian countess, resists the pleas of the guests to remove her mask. She confirms her identity by singing a brilliant and fiery Hungarian czardas.*

Orlofsky asks about the bat story he was promised. Eisenstein chimes in that it was a joke he played on Falke three years ago: they went to a masked ball; Falke wore a bat suit; Eisenstein got Falke drunk and then left him sleeping in the forest; when Falke walked home, everyone laughed at his ridiculous costume. All toast to a future revenge, then a waltz begins. Afterward, Frank and Eisenstein, realizing how late it is, hastily leave Orlofsky’s. Eisenstein heads to prison to fill his sentence.

A C T 3

The prison

The jailer Frosch talks to himself in between slugs of slivovitz (plum Brandy) and yells at the singing Alfred to be quiet. Frank enters drunk and stumbles through the memories of the evening. Frosch tells him that a marquis wants to see him and that Alfred has asked for a lawyer.

Eisenstein arrives and explains that he is not the marquis but actually Eisenstein. Frank takes it as a joke and explains how he locked up Eisenstein, who was really Alfred, the night before.

Blind enters. Eisenstein takes Blind’s robe, glasses, and wig for a disguise and approaches Alfred and the newly arrived Rosalinde who came to the jail to seek a divorce from her husband. They mistake him for Blind and ask him how to best handle their delicate situation. Eisenstein, disguised as the lawyer, criticizes Rosalinde and Alfred’s behavior. Rosalinde is taken aback by his lack of impartiality. To sway his sympathy, she tells him of her husband’s transgressions at Orlofsky’s. No longer able to repress his anger, Eisenstein reveals himself. Rosalinde then produces his watch.

Falke enters and explains the ruse that was revenge for the bat (die Fledermaus) incident. He takes credit for all the night’s events including Alfred’s visit with Rosalinde. And everything unaccounted for is found to be the fault of the champagne. Eisenstein still is required to serve his full jail sentence.

*Csárdás (pronounced [ˈt͡ʃaːrdaːʃ], "char-dash") is a traditional Hungarian folk dance. It originated in Hungary and was popularized by Roma music bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Vojvodina, Slovakia, Slovenia , Croatia, Carpathian Ruthenia, Transylvania-(Hungarian Kingdom) and Moravia, as well as among the Banat Bulgarians, including those in Bulgaria.

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Its origins can be traced back to the 18th century Hungarian verbunkos, used as a recruiting dance by the Hungarian army.

Csárdás is characterized by a variation in tempo: it starts out slowly (lassú) and ends in a very fast tempo (friss, literally "fresh"). There are other tempo variations, called ritka csárdás, sűrű csárdás and szökős csárdás. The music is in 2/4 or 4/4 time. The dancers are both male and female, with the women dressed in traditional wide skirts, usually colored red, which form a distinctive shape when they whirl.

Classical composers who have used csárdás themes in their work include Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Johann Strauss, Pablo de Sarasate, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and others. Probably the best-known csardas is the eponymous composition by Vittorio Monti written for violin and piano. This virtuosic piece has 5 tempo variations.

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org)

What to Listen For

The overture of Die Fledermaus perfectly captures the spirit of the entire score. Virtually every note of this operetta was inspired by the rhythms of the dances which were wildly popular all over Europe in 1874. Strauss was prolific in the composition of dances like the polka and the galop or can can. The polka was a Bohemian dance introduced in Prague in 1837. There are almost as many polkas in Die Fledermaus as there are waltzes, for example, the polkas that appear in Act I accompanying Adele's reading of her sister's letter inviting her to Orlofsky's party, Rosalinde’s “own” polka at the very end of Act I as she diffuses the suspicions of Frank the jailer and sends Alfred off to prison in the place of her husband. Act II begins with a polka and, most famously, the finale of Act II is centered on another polka, the “Champagne Trio” and chorus, the text of which celebrates the inebriating effects of this sparkling beverage.

It is the lilt of the Viennese waltz that gives Die Fledermaus its soul and each waltz is fabricated by the composer to match the sentiments of the text. When Alfred invites Rosalinde to drink away their cares as he attempts to seduce her, Strauss accompanies the seduction with a waltz. In Act II, the disguised Eisenstein approaches the similarly disguised Adele, absolutely sure that this woman is his wife's maid; Adele puts him off with the famous waltz, "My dear Marquis." One almost wants to say that whenever one hears a waltz in Die Fledermaus, a character is involved in the seduction of another!

There are waltzes that we don't consciously think are waltzes, such as the lovely Brüderlein introduced by Dr. Falke at the climax of the ball to toast brotherhood and love. Suddenly we realize that the waltz is capable of being melancholy, sentimental, and wistful, not just danceable. But then, of course, we have the sparkling exuberance of the Fledermaus waltz itself, first heard in the overture and then again as the culmination of the masked ball at the end of Act II.

This score is infectious. The tunes and rhythms carry you away. That is, of course, what the producers hoped in 1874 at the Theater an der Wien when Die Fledermaus premiered. The "Black Friday" Stock Exchange crash had occurred the year before (in 1873), the Imperial house

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of Hapsburg was beginning to crumble and already the elements that would bring about the First World War were appearing as microscopic rips in the glittering fabric that was Vienna. In the same way that the Busby Berkeley film musicals of the 1930s helped Americans deal with the Depression, operettas like Die Fledermaus gave contemporary Viennese audiences a way to escape their very real fears about the decaying world around them.

Adapted from San Diego Opera – Operapaedia.org

Glossary: Important Words in Opera

Act – a section of the opera that is then divided into scenes.

Aria – means “air” in Italian. This is a piece of music written for a one singer (soloist), usually with instrumental accompaniment.

Baritone – a man who sings in a low range. A bass or a (bass-baritone) sings the very lowest notes of all.

Chorus – a group of singers of all vocal ranges, singing together to support the vocal leads.

Classical – the period in music which comes after the Baroque and before the Romantic, roughly from the birth of Mozart to shortly after the death of Beethoven? It represents the greatest standardization in orchestral form and tonality.

Composer - the individual who writes all the music for both voice and instrument.

Conductor -the person responsible for the musical interpretation and coordination of the performance. The conductor controls the tempo, the dynamic level and the balance between singers and orchestra. You will see this person standing in the orchestra pit conducting the musicians and the singers. The conductor for Die Fledermaus is Timothy Steele.

Ensemble – a part of the opera written for a group of two or more singers. This may or may not include the chorus.

Die Fledermaus – German for “the bat” (literally, the flying mouse!)

Librettist – the writer of the opera’s text. The librettist for The Marriage of Figaro was Lorenzo da Ponte.

Libretto – Italian for “little book.” It is the text or story of the opera.

Mezzo-soprano – A woman who sings in a medium range. Sometimes called an alto, although usually that term is reserved for women who sing very low.

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Opera – a dramatic presentation which is set to music. Almost all of it is sung, and the orchestra is an equal partner with the singers. Like a play, an opera is acted on stage with costumes, scenery, makeup, etc. Opera is the plural form of the Latin word opus, which means “work.”

Opera-comique (French) or Opera buffa (Italian) or Singspeil (German) – a form of opera which contains spoken dialogue and is usually funny or light-hearted.

Operetta – lighthearted opera with spoken dialogue, such as a musical.

Orchestra – an ensemble, led by a conductor, that is comprised of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.

Orchestra pit – sunken area in front of the stage where the orchestra sits.

Props – objects carried or used on stage by the performers.

Recitative – lines of dialogue that are sung, usually with no recognized melody. It is used to advance the plot.

Score - the written music of an opera or other musical work.

Soprano – highest female voice. A coloratura soprano sings especially high, and usually very fast/light music

Surtitles – the English translations of the opera’s language, in this production Italian, that are projected above the stage during a performance to help the audience follow the story. Much like subtitles in a foreign film.

Tenor – a man who sings in a high range

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Resources

Fantel, Hans. Johann Strauss: father son, and their era. London: David& Charles, 1971.

Gartenberg, Egon. Johann Strauss: the end of an era. University Park, PN.: Pennsylvania State University Press. 1974.

Jacob, Heinrich Eduard. Johann Strauss, father and son: a century of light music. Garden City, NY.: Halcyon House. 1939.

Miller, Frank. Johann Strauss Vater: der musikalische Magier des Wiener Birdermeier. Eisenbug, Germany: Castell-Varlag. 1999.

Prawy, Marcel. Johann Strauss: weltgeschichte in walzertakt. Munich: Molden-tashenburch-verlag. 1975.

Pastene, Jerome. Three-quarter time: the life and music of the Strauss family of Vienna. New York: Abelard Press. 1951.

Reeser, Eduard. The history of the waltz. Stockholm: Continental Book Co. 1949. Stephenson, Kelly K. “Waltz through time”: a lecture demonstration on the stylistic evolution of the waltz during the eighteen hundred. Provo, UT.: Brigham Young University Press. 1989.

Wechsburg, Joseph. The waltz emperors: the life and times and music of the Strauss family. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 1973.

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From New York Times June 18, 1899

THE LATE JOHANN STRAUSS

How the Second “Waltz King” Became Famous in a Night.

Showed GENIUS WHEN A CHILD But His Father Bitterly Opposed His Choice of A Profession, and Only His Mother Encouraged Him.

Foreign Correspondence New Your Times

VIENNA, June 5 – Johann II, of the Strauss dynasty, who died here the day before yesterday, was the greatest of the family. His father, Johann I., the “Waltz King,” as the Viennese nicknamed him, was a runaway carpenter’s apprentice. When his father once caught him playing the fiddle, he beat him almost to death. But the boy became a musician who became famous throughout the world. His mother secretly assisted the runaway. Scarcely had he won his first laurels when he married. He wanted to make an official or something of that sort of his eldest son. But the younger Johann, just like his father, shoed a love of music, which, however, his father strictly forbade him to learn. One day when he was six years old, he sat down to the piano and strummed a waltz. His mother, who was listening, wrote down the piece. Afterward, it appeared under the title of “Der este Gedanke,” and is an interesting document in the history of genius.

Johann II was the cause of quarrels between his father and mother. The latter, having a presentiment of her son’s genius wanted him to learn music; but her husband opposed it so obstinately as to lead to differences between them that resulted in a divorce. The mother kept the children, and the maestro then troubled himself little about their education. One day the younger Johann was expelled from the technical school, as his humming of tunes had disturbed the professor’s lecture. That decided his fate. When he was seventeen years old, he gave piano lessons, using the money thus earned to pay members of the Imperial Opera to teach him thorough bass and harmony.

On October 14, 1844, he made his début as a composer and conductor at Dommayer’s Casino at Hietzing, near Vienna. The concert room was crammed; all Vienna went to see if the debutant would succeed in the difficult task of holding his own as the son of a famous father. A slenderly built lad, with lively, nervous gestures, with dark, flashing eyes, rich black hair, persistently falling over his forehead, and the beginnings of a mustache, took his place at the conductor’s desk. Dead silence ensued. The overture produced no effect; it did not afford any opportunity for him to compete with his father for the favor of the Viennese. Then the band struck up the youthful composer’s waltz, “Gunstwerber.” It conquered all hearts, and justified its title of “A Bid for Favor,” and it had to be repeated four times. Then followed the polka “Herzenslust,” which was received with loud and long-continued applause, and it had to be repeated three times.

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At the end of the program was his first composition, “Sinngedichte.” To say it was followed by tremendous applause would be insufficient to describe the scene that took place; the people were wild with delight, and could not hear the piece often enough. Three, four, five times it was played, the audience being quite intoxicated with delight.

Before the applause which followed his composition had ceased, young Strauss came forward again and rapped on the conductor’s desk, the sign for the beginning of a piece of dance music. Everybody, supposing he intended to repeat his own composition for the seventh time, became perfectly still. But the band struck up a piece not in the programme, the elder Strauss’s “Lorelay-Rheinklaenge,” and played it splendidly, and thus the young fellow gave a proof of his filial respect. The applause had before been immense, but now it was utterly indescribable; the men rapped the floor with their sticks, the women waved their handkerchiefs; every one was full of excitement, admiration, and emotion.

While at midnight the audience was still standing shoulder to shoulder calling out the name of the Viennese favorite, and while he from the platform was kissing his hand in all directions to his admirers, in a corner of the hall, unknown, unnoticed in great excitement, with clasped hands, murmuring words of thanks to God for his gracious ordering of events, stood Johann’s mother. She remained sunk in silent thanksgiving long, long after the crowd had left the scene of her loved one’s first triumph.

After the enormous success attending the younger Strauss’s first concert at Dommayer’s his father withdrew his opposition to his being a musician. He proposed to his son that he should join his band and take his share of conducting. But certain circumstances made such an arrangement impossible, and the son remained an independent conductor. At first he met with considerable obstacles. Most of the large establishments, thinking themselves bound to consider Strauss, Sr., would not engage Strauss, Jr., and his band, and so the young man, who had inherited his father’s love of wandering, started on long concert tours.

In 1849 Strauss, Sr. died in London, and his son took the place of Waltz King. He took over his father’s band, and traveled with it to St. Petersburg, London, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, and some American cities. Everywhere he met with triumph, earning much money, and great fame.

From that time began for Strauss a period of increased musical productivity. Enormous demands were made on it. He composed untiringly everywhere, in cabs driving from one concert to another, after returning home from noisy festivals. One of his most charming waltzes, the “Accelerationem,” he sketched out on a bill of fare in the early hours of the morning after a great ball, and had it played the same evening at the grand ball of the Polytechnical High School. He composed out of doors while driving or walking. In all he wrote over 400 waltzes. Only yesterday were found hundreds of his unpublished musical sketches.

Johann Strauss was married three times. His first wife, the popular Vienna singer, Treffs, died. Henrietta von Treffs was a celebrated artiste, and exercised great influence on Strauss’s artistic development. It was she who persuaded him to devote his talent, which till then had been occupied only with disconnected single pieces, to the stage, and to compose the “Fledermaus,” an operetta which has made the Waltz King’s name famous probably for all time.

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Many years ago Strauss was divorced from his second wife, who now manages a photographic studio at Berlin. She too greatly influenced his work. After a few years the match proved such an unhappy one that Frau Lili Strauss left her husband’s house. With his third wife, Adele, he lived very happily. He had no children.

In order to be able to marry a third time the maestro had to make great sacrifices. He was forced to become a Protestant, and he, the very prototype of a Viennese, resigned his Austrian citizenship and became a Coburg subject, as otherwise his marriage would have been illegal. Meanwhile he had been appointed Director of the Court Ball Music, and after that he gave up conducting. When, however, he had written a new waltz, he would delight the Viennese by himself wielding the baton.

Strauss’s operettas “Indigo,” “Carnival in Rome,” and “Die Fledermaus” made the tour of all the operetta stages in Europe. “The Fledermaus” is considered his best. It is still frequently given at the Imperial Opera here. On Whit Monday Strauss constructed such a performance of the “Fledermaus” there, and it is supposed that then he contracted the disease which resulted in his death. After the “Fledermaus,” his creative talent took a slight backward turn. None of the operettas which followed bear the full stamp of Strauss’s genius, neither “Cogliostro,” (1875,) “Prinz Methusalem,” (1877,) “Das Spitzentuch der Koenigin,” (1881,) “Der Lustige Krieg,” (1881,) nor “Eine Nacht in Venedig,” (1883,). Some ten years later it shone out again in the “Zigeuner Baron,” (1885,) but for the last time, for all that followed, the operettas “Simpliciius,” (1886,) “Ritter Pasman,” (1892,) “Fuerstin Ninetta,” (1893,) “Jabuka,” (1894,) “Waldmeister,” (1895,) “Die Goettin der Vermunft,” (1896;) did not rise to the same height of creative talent and melodic richness.

Strauss’s most celebrated waltz “An der schoenen blauen Donau” was almost a failure at its first performance, although it was given by the best musical performance, the Male Voice Choir, composed entirely of first-rate singers, at a carnival festival. That waltz, the gem of all Strauss’s compositions, did not become popular till later, when it made its way round the world, after having achieved enormous success at the Paris Exhibition. For that waltz Strauss received from his publisher only $100. Later his publisher agreed to pay him 42,500 a year in return for one new waltz. With the proceeds of “Fledermaus” he bought himself a fine house in Igelgasse. Nevertheless the fortune he left behind amounts only to $350,000. He appointed the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna his residuary legatee, stipulating however that it should pay his widow, his stepdaughter, and his two unmarried sisters considerable annuities.

Cheerful and happy as his life was Strauss’s death. He had no idea that his end was near, despite the violent attack of pneumonia and pleurisy from which he was suffering. He thought that he had neuralgia. After speaking quietly with those about him he gently fell asleep and an hour afterward ceased to breathe.

Dr. Johannes Hororwitz

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Evaluating Writing

After reading the obituary published in the New York Times in 1899, have the students critique the writing using the following questions:

How does the writing in this obituary differ from obituaries written today?

Is this written piece effective? Why or why not?

How does this piece differ from the biography in this Study Guide?

What information did you learn about 19th century life in Vienna?

Historians study documents as evidence to interpret historical events or the past. Both primary and secondary source documents are important to historians, but there is a difference. A primary source document is any document created by those who participated in or witnessed the events of the past. Newspapers, journals, diaries, government papers, wills, inventories, speeches, letters, maps, drawings, and photographs are examples of primary source documents. A secondary source was written after an historical event, usually ten or more years afterwards. Articles and books are considered secondary sources.

Is this obituary a primary or secondary source? Support your opinion with a reasoned argument.

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Understanding the Story of Die Fledermaus(From the Manitoba Opera)

Objectives:Students will be able to express their knowledge of the storyline of Die Fledermaus through verbal and written expression. Students will be able to express their knowledge of character through writing a character sketch.

Activity #1: Story of Die Fledermaus

Have the students read a version of Die Fledermaus. You can use the synopsis found in the Study Guide or most CD versions include a synopsis and often the libretto. You can choose to read it aloud to the students or have them read it silently. Have the students discuss what happens to the characters and why they think each character behaved the way they did. Do they think a similar story could be told in modern times or can they think of contemporary stories that have a similar theme?

For a more dramatic approach, read the libretto as a reader’s theatre, having students take turns speaking the different roles. If done in this manner, ask the students to put emotion into their voices and encourage exaggeration. You might have to start them off, but this will provide an interesting way of reading the story.

Another approach is to convert the synopsis into an improvised play. Have students create the dialogue between characters at key points in the story. Incorporate the music. Have the students discuss what they hear. Some discussion topics include:

What mood does the music create?What does the music say about the character?How does it say it?What emotions are conveyed through the music?

Activity #2: Sharing with a group

After viewing the Dress Rehearsal, have the students discuss what they saw. To help focus conversations, get the students to create a list of qualities that they feel are key to understanding Die Fledermaus and its characters.

Activity #3: Creating a journal from point of view of a character

Allow students to pick a specific moment in the opera, preferably a point of conflict for the character. Have the students write a journal of those events from the point of view of their character. Explain to the students that they are to take on the persona of that character and should refer to the character through personal pronouns. Also, remind students that they are only to express information that their character would know.

Character Profile

Name and role____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Physical Characteristics (their style and physical attributes)______________________________________________________________________________

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Psychological Characteristics (mental aspects of character, how do they think about things?)______________________________________________________________________________

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Emotional Characteristics (are they generally cheerful, sad, snobby, “off-balance” etc.?)______________________________________________________________________________

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Family______________________________________________________________________________

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Career/Income (if applicable)______________________________________________________________________________

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Interests and Hobbies______________________________________________________________________________

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Other interesting facts______________________________________________________________________________

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Writing a Review of Die Fledermaus(From the Manitoba Opera)

Objectives:

Students will be able to write clear and well-supported expository essays.Students will utilize observation and critical thinking skills based on real-life, real-time experiences.Students can submit their writing for publication (school newspaper) or you can send the reviews to Opera Providence. We would love to hear what the students thought.

Activity #1- Think-Group-Share

Individually students will write, in point form, the answers to the following questions:1. What did you like about the opera? What did you dislike?2. What did you think about the sets, props and costumes?3. Would you have done something differently? Why?4. What were you expecting? Did it live up to your expectations?5. What did you think of the singers’ portrayal of their characters?

Break the students into groups to discuss their feelings and reactions to the production. Have the students write on poster papers their answers or important points of their discussion. Encourage the students to go beyond the questions posed. Place their poster papers on the walls.

Activity #2- Gallery Walk

Have the groups travel around the room to examine the discussion poster papers. During the walk, students must write down one thing that surprised them, one thing that they didn’t think of, and one thing that they would like explained. Once this is done, have a large group discussion about the different ideas that they encountered on their walk.

Activity #3– Outlining your review

Go over the essential aspects of a review including:• a clearly stated purpose• a coherent comparison/contrast organizational pattern• a summary paragraph• capturing the interest of the reader• precise nouns• revision for consistency of ideas

You might give your students a few samples of reviews for fine arts events from the newspaper as examples – or ask them to bring in some reviews they find themselves. Have the students fill out the “Review Outline” worksheet. Once this has been completed, students may write their rough draft.

Activity #4- Peer Conferencing

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Students will exchange reviews to critique and edit. Have the students use the “Peer Evaluation” worksheet to help guide them. Encourage the students to focus on effective coordination of ideas in sentences and the correct use of grammar and punctuation.

Activity #5- Creating the final draft

Have students make the appropriate adjustments to their reviews. You could also have the students type the pieces up and organize them into a newspaper. Also have the students complete the “Self Evaluation” worksheet. Include this in the total mark.

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Review OutlineReview OutlinePurpose (why are you writing this and who is your audience?)______________________________________________________________________________

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Plot Synopsis (including who sang what role, etc.)______________________________________________________________________________

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Paragraph #1 (compare and contrast, things you liked or didn’t like)______________________________________________________________________________

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Paragraph #2 (compare and contrast, things you liked or didn’t like)______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Paragraph #3 (compare and contrast, things you liked or didn’t like)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Summary/Closing Paragraph______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Peer Evaluation

Date: __________________________

Name of peer evaluator: _________________________

Name of Reviewer: ________________________________

Review Title: _____________________________________

Scale: 5-Outstanding 4-Above Average 3-Average 2-Needs improvement 1-Unclear 0-Has not been done

Process & Product Assessment:

_____ Purpose of the piece clearly identified

_____ Reader clearly taken into account (background, word choice)

_____ Engaging to the reader (was it interesting to read?)

_____ Complete sentence structure (grammar, spelling and punctuation)

_____ Varied length and types of sentences used

_____ Strong word choices (adjectives, adverbs and nouns)

_____ Originality and creativity

_____ Attention to detail and support of beliefs with examples

Total: /40

Comments and Questions:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Self-Evaluation

Date: __________________________

Name of Reviewer: ________________________________

Review Title: _____________________________________

Scale: 5-Outstanding 4-Above Average 3-Average 2-Needs improvement1-Unclear 0-Has not been done

Process & Product Assessment:_____ Purpose of the piece clearly identified

_____ Reader clearly taken into account (background, word choice)

_____ Engaging to the reader (was it interesting to read?)

_____ Complete sentence structure (grammar, spelling and punctuation)

_____ Varied length and types of sentences used

_____ Strong word choices (adjectives, adverbs and nouns)

_____ Originality and creativity

_____ Attention to detail and support of beliefs with examples

Total: /40

Comments:______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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