The operetta Die Fledermaus, premiered at the Wiener Staatsoper in 1874, is one of the most famous masterpieces by Johann Strauss Jr.. It's also his most influential representative work. It is said that the operetta was staged for more than 80 times in a row after its premiere. Die Fledermaus is characterised by a concise and interesting plot, lively characters, humorous lines, beautiful "Vienna-style" music and multiple styles of dance. An optimistic attitude, which advocates "loving and enjoying life", runs through the operetta, making it so popular worldwide that it has been staged again and again since its debut over 150 years ago. Not only is it one of the classic operettas staged most frequently, but it's also the first choice in numerous opera houses' repertoires for the New Year celebration.
Johann Strauss Jr., known as the "Waltz King", was outstanding at creating humourous and ironic melodies in his music to express lively and passionate emotions. The waltzes, polkas and marches used extensively in Die Fledermaus are all familiar melodies to the Chinese audience. The overture to this operetta, has long been a household name owing to its frequent appearance at the New Year's concerts given by international orchestras. The overture was even applied in the well-known classic cartoon Tom and Jerry, making The Hollywood Bowl a unique classic plot. The heroine Adele's brilliant Laughing Song is even more of an aria that coloratura sopranos love to sing best at concerts. Its lively, moving melody represents the brightest musical image of Adele. No set in the social context of that time, various kinds of misunderstandings, coincidences and malposition of characters presented in the operetta, as well as the pipe dream of turning from a sparrow into a phoenix, are all timeless comic plots.
Back in 2011, the NCPA produced and staged this world classic, Die Fledermaus. After more than a decade of development with experience accumulated in opera production, especially in the production of over 100 stage plays, the NCPA has revived the world classic with ingenuity by a new creative team, making it possible to better meet the audience's expectations.
The stage director is Vincent Boussard, a famous French opera director who has won the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, while the costume designer is Christian Lacroix, a legend who enjoys high acclaim in Paris' high-grade women's wear industry. Lacroix's works are imbued with the spirit of classical French court art, and he himself has, for several times, won the Golden Thimble Award, a significant prize in the clothing industry. Having collaborated for many years, they make the opera stage shine brightly each time. The current set design is no longer confined to the traditional Viennese Classicism. Instead, flowing colours are applied throughout the design process to grant the stage a modern aesthetic look that appears concise but not simple, injecting a dynamic, elegant hue into the operetta, to enrich the stage presentation style.
World-famous conductor Marc Minkowski, the founder of Les Musiciens du Louvre and an authoritative interpreter of Baroque works, will conduct this round of performances on invitation. It will be his first time to conduct a Chinese opera production. He will join hands with a group of Chinese and foreign vocalists, including Markus Werba, Jacquelyn Wagner, ZHOU Zhengzhong and SONG Yuanming, to perform this great operetta. This time, outstanding young Chinese singers who enjoy tremendous popularity worldwide, including XU Xiaoyi, ZHANG Xiaomeng and DENG Chao, will cut a striking figure on the Chinese opera stage. Even CAI Chengyu, a young Chinese star singer who played in the operetta Die Lustige Witwe, will return to the NCPA stage for the opera.
Venue: Opera House
Dates: November 27-December 01, 2024
