23.10.2022–24.02.2023 / Opera

Die Fleder­maus

Johann Strauß (Son)
Content
Opulent parties, champagne-beaded melodies and sparkling dialogues - this evening will sweep you away!
Comic operetta in three acts
Text by Richard Genée after the comedy "Le Réveillon" by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy in the German adaptation by Karl Haffner
In German with surtitles
approx. 3 ½ hours, one interval
For all from 10 upwards
An ambitious local politician is persuaded by a shady billionaire to help his city - and perhaps himself - achieve new greatness by building a spaceport. But Gabriel von Eisenstein actually has other problems: For disorderly conduct he is due to start serving a prison sentence tomorrow. But why face reality? Eisenstein prefers to follow the advice of his friend Dr. Falke to have a good time before starting his prison sentence - and thus falls into the net of an intrigue in which not only an honourable personality has to lose his reputation.

A large ensemble of singers, dancers and actors brings this intergalactic operetta fun to the stage of the Düsseldorf Opera House.
Musikalische Leitung
Inszenierung
Bühne und Kostüme
Beleuchtung
Choreographie
Dramaturgie
Cast
Gabriel von Eisenstein
Prinz Orlofsky
Dr. Falke
Staatsanwalt
Volker Philippi/Ingmar Klusmann
Tänzerin
Chin-A Hwang/Tamara Gigauri-Laryea, Ewa Bienkowska/Birgit Mühlram, Nathalie Gehrmann, Anna Roura-Maldonado/Ann-Kathrin Wurche, Anna Pawlowa-Lichtenwald/Sofia Klein-Herrero, Chiara Jovy
Synopsis
ACT ONE
Adele, the Eisensteins’ housekeeper, has been invited to a party held by the Russian Prince Orlofsky and very much wants the evening off. Rosalinde, the lady of the house, is being besieged at the front door with serenades by the tenor Alfred, the love of her youth. Her husband Gabriel von Eisenstein has to serve a prison sentence for insulting a government official. His friend Dr. Falke manages to persuade him to attend Orlofsky’s party and begin his sentence the day after. Eisenstein skips his farewell supper with Rosalinde and follows Falke to the party. Adele is given the night off and Rosalinde is able to receive Alfred who makes himself at home in Eisenstein’s dressing gown. The new prison director, Frank, who arrives to arrest Eisenstein in person, takes him for the master of the house. Alfred allows himself to be taken into custody in order not to expose Rosalinde.

ACT TWO
Prince Orlofsky’s party is the scene of exuberant celebration. Everything is just as Falke had imagined. Adele appears in her “madame’s” evening gown and claims to be a young artist named Olga. Falke introduces Eisenstein to the company as Marquis Renard and the Prison Director also turns up under the pseudonym Chevalier Chargrin. Finally a masked Hungarian Countess is announced – who is none other than Rosalinde. Eisenstein does not suspect who he has in front of him and attempts to lure this unknown beauty with a pocket watch. Rosalinde succeeds in taking this exquisite piece of evidence from him. Fuelled by champagne, Eisenstein tells of how once after a carnival ball he publicly embarrassed the drunken Falke in a bat costume. The night accelerates in a giddying whirl to a state of collective fraternization until it ends abruptly when the clock strikes six a.m.

ACT THREE
One by one the party finds its way to the city prison. Director Frank wishes to begin his first day at work, Adele is searching for the benefactor who promised the night before to finance her training and Eisenstein discovers that he is already behind bars. He feels cheated on by Rosalinde. She responds by flourishing his watch under his nose and demands a divorce. Falke turns up with all the other guests from the party and saves the situation. Eisenstein discovers that everything has been part of Falke’s elaborate scheme for revenge. He and Rosalinde make up and everyone agrees to blame the champagne.

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