Die Fledermaus (The Bat)

The operetta Die Fledermaus (The Bat) ranks among the finest masterpieces of the operetta repertory and remains one of the most beloved works of Johann Strauss II, the celebrated “Waltz King.” First staged in Vienna in 1874, the operetta combines a witty tale of intrigue, disguise, misunderstanding, and social reversal with sparkling, irresistibly rhythmic music, in which the lightness of the waltz, the polka, and salon elegance is interwoven with a subtle satire of Viennese bourgeois society. Its literary source derives from the French comedy Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, later reshaped into a libretto by Richard Genée in collaboration with Karl Haffner, thus providing Strauss with the ideal framework for an operetta score of extraordinary wit, lyric grace, and theatrical effectiveness. Die Fledermaus is not merely a charming comedy of manners, but also a finely drawn stage portrait of a world in which frivolity, vanity, jealousy, and delight in social play hide beneath a veneer of refinement. It is precisely in this balance between brilliant entertainment and a gently ironic perspective on bourgeois society that the operetta’s enduring appeal resides, an appeal that has captivated audiences across the world for decades. In this work, Strauss fashioned a music-theatrical whole of remarkable dramatic pacing, ensemble vitality, and orchestral brilliance, which is why Die Fledermaus continues to be regarded as one of the central achievements of the Viennese operetta tradition. Within the history of the Maribor Opera, Die Fledermaus occupies a particularly distinguished place, returning to its stage after a series of earlier productions that testify to its lasting popularity in the Slovenian cultural space as well. An added dimension is provided by the long-standing tradition of Oton Župančič’s Slovenian singing translation, which has decisively shaped the work’s domestic reception. On this occasion, Strauss’s celebrated operetta will return to Maribor in a new production by the internationally acclaimed Italian director Pier Francesco Maestrini, who will infuse this timeless masterpiece with fresh stage energy and once again reveal it in all its musical wit, theatrical opulence, and playful elegance.

The performance will be given in Slovenian with English and German surtitles.