Strauss: Die Fledermaus (Bavarian State Opera, December 2023, Directed by: Barrie Kosky)

Johann Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" is part of the Bavarian State Opera's repertoire and has been performed there by first-rate artists since 1895. In December 2023, the curtain rose on a spectacular new production of the work. Director Barrie Kosky gave the "operetta of all operettas" a new look: in a brilliantly colorful production (set design by Rebecca Ringst, costumes by Klaus Bruns), a society, an entire city, dances toward the abyss. The setting is Vienna, the city of the golden age of operetta, where Die Fledermaus premiered in 1874. Beneath the glamour of feather boas and tutus, a volcano is brewing. It is not only for Gabriel von Eisenstein that the bat's revenge becomes a nightmare when at the boisterous masquerade ball at Prince Orlofsky's house, a false Marquis and a false Chevalier, a purported Hungarian countess and plenty of aspiring artists come face to face. Glasses clink, relationships falter, people fall in love, lie, and dance (choreography by Otto Pichler). Here they celebrate as long as they can, true to the motto: "Happy is he who forgets...". General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski brings new facets of the score to life – in his third new production in Munich with Barrie Kosky. Diana Damrau makes her debut as Rosalinde, Georg Nigl portrays her husband Gabriel von Eisenstein, Katharina Konradi appears as Adele and Martin Winkler as Frank; other roles are performed by Markus Brück (Dr. Falke), Sean Panikkar (Alfred), Kevin Conners (Dr. Blind) and Miriam Neumaier (Ida). The six-legged frog is played by, among others, actor Franz Josef Strohmeier and tap dancer Max Pollak.