Die Fledermaus

Placido Domingo, Conductor

Kiri Te Kanawa, Hermann Prey, Benjamin Luxon, Hildegard Heichele, Doris Soiffel, Dennis O'Neill
Composer: Johann Strauss II
Librettist: Carl Haffner & Richard Genee

I watched this the other day, having briefed myself as to the basic plot of Die Fledermaus, although I was unfamiliar with most of the music. I was enthralled. This is a really fun video to watch - the New Year's Eve spirit is infectious, even though as I write this it's the middle of July. It's like going to a huge, really fun party.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Domingo as a conductor, but he's a good one, with the balanced sense of drama and music that you'd expect from someone who's been on the other side of the baton. No worries there.

I've read some complaints about the language switches in this production - some of the dialogue is in English, some in German, and Alfred occasionally chatters in Italian. I had no trouble with it - in fact, I thought it was kind of funny and in some cases carefully done. I believe there was some indication that Rosalinde and Dr. Falke were both English, so it made sense for Rosalinde to "think aloud" in English and for them to converse in English. If Eisenstein has an English wife he might use English sometimes but usually spoke in German. Alfred is Italian so he would use it. It's clear from Orlofsky's comment ("...the Countess is multilingual.") that the switches were also happening in the dramatic world and weren't just for the audience's benefit. Some of the switches did seem meaningless but I think on the whole it made the production more fun. (And of course there is the hilarious dialogue in "French.")

The singing and acting in the production is wonderful. Kiri Te Kanawa delivers an inspired performance as Rosalinde with some great comic timing and a very intelligent approach to the role. Hermann Prey is a lovable, bumbling Eisenstein. He's so hilarious that you find it in your heart to forgive him at the end. Again, wonderful comic timing.

Benjamin Luxon is a great Dr. Falke, bringing off his revenge with a good-natured twinkle in his eye. I got the sense that rather than feeling truly wronged, he did appreciate the humor in his own humiliation as "Dr. Fledermaus" and was merely trying to spring another joke in return, not bring Eisenstein down completely. (This works well with Prey's Eisenstein, who came across as flirtatious but ultimately harmless.)

I know Adele is supposed to be smarmy, but it still annoys me. Still, Hildegard Heichele is good in the role. She sings very nicely and comes off well in the coloratura parts. Dennis O'Neill is absolutely hilarious as Alfred. He plays well off of the other principals and keeps up his amusing self-absorption throughout the performance.

Doris Soiffel's Prince Orlofsky was a bit over-the-top but it worked in the context of this production. Actually it was very funny. The singing was well done though. I do prefer Brigitte Fassbaender in the role, but Soiffel was obviously having a lot of fun and that does a lot to win over the viewer.

The "guest performers" at the Prince's party were great, including some ballet, two amusing songs by Dr. Evadne Hinge and Dame Hilda Bracket, and a lovely rendition of "She" by Charles Aznavour. Very nice, and they did a lot to add to the "party feel" of the production.

There's a great joke between Domingo and the jailer Frosch (Josef Meinard) in the third act that I won't ruin for you. And I love the end when the balloons, confetti, etc. all come down on the audience.

I was captured by this performance from beginning to end, and kept laughing out loud. If you're a strict purist, you may not like it - a lot of liberties are taken with the dialogue and so forth - but if you're a bit more open-minded it's definitely worth checking out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's released on DVD soon - Amazon will let you pre-order it but there's no final release date posted. Keep your eyes out, but in the meantime find a way to see this.

Originally Reviewed:

11-Jul-03