VIDEO: 180 min., German language with some English, HiFi Stereo, Color, -- The Royal Opera House presents DIE FLEDERMAUS by Johann Strauss, the best and most loved operetta by the Waltz King. An international array of talent appears in this traditional Viennese comedy with Kiri Te Kanawa as Rosalinde, Hermann Prey as Eisenstein, Hildegard Keichele as Adele and Benjamin Luxon as Dr. Falke. Invite some friends and enjoy this great play at home. Comes with printed dialogue booklet (libretto). [preceding blurb in the German Language Video Center catalog] OUT OF PRINT: FOR RENTAL ONLY as Order #TH 2791 in the German Language Video Center catalog. It's just sheer fun--the blurb is correct--and Domingo conducts. Has recently been re-issued as CVI 2023. Do not recall subtitles. But the polyglot (and occasionally deliberately phony!) linguistic variety the entire cast indulges in is part of the fun and--mostly-- hilariously clear. [G.R.]
AUDIO: A) DECCA/LONDON: Walter Berry, Hilde Gueden, Waldemar Kmentt, von Karajan conducting; the best edition of this includes an impromptu gala recital by Ljuba Welitsch, Birgit Nilsson, Joan Sutherland, Giulietta Simionato, Jussi Bjoerling, et al in the second act! stereo [G.R.]
B) DECCA/LONDON: Alfred Poell, Hilde Gueden, Julius Patzak, Clemens Krauss conducting; defines gemutlichkeit; all dialogue sections omitted; in mono [G.R.]
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