DIE FLEDERMAUS

General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski and director Barrie Kosky have worked together on Der Rosenkavalier and Der feurige Engel at the Nationaltheater, and they have also realized musical theater together at the Komische Oper Berlin. For Barrie Kosky, the production of Die Fledermaus is his sixth directing work at the National Theater. As in Rosenkavalier, Victoria Behr is responsible for the costume design. The stage is designed by Rebekka Ringst, who has already developed the theatrical spaces for Der feurige Engel and Agrippina. The choreography is by Otto Pichler, who was a guest in Munich for Der feurige Engel.

Barrie Kosky affords the “operetta of all operettas” a new look and focuses on its morbid side. The scene is Vienna, city of the golden operetta era, where Die Fledermaus celebrated its world premiere at the Theater an der Wien in 1874. The revenge of the bat becomes a nightmare for Gabriel von Eisenstein and many others. A society, an entire city dances towards the abyss. To take revenge on his friend Eisenstein, Dr Falke, alias the bat, orchestrates a misunderstanding with Prince Orlofsky. A marquis and a chevalier, a countess and budding artists meet here for a raucous party. Glasses clink, relationships are strained, there is loving, lying and dancing. They party ‘til the cows come home, always believing: “Happy are those who forget ...” 

General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski conducts the Bayerisches Staatsorchester.