Johann Strauss Jr.: Die Fledermaus at Music Hills.com

Music CD 1

Die Flermaus: Overture
Die Flermaus: Act I: No. 1 Introduction: 'Turtle Dove That Flew Away' (Alfred, Adele)
Die Flermaus: Act I: Dialogue: 'Turtle Dove That Flew away' (Alfred, Adele, Rosalinde)
Die Flermaus: Act I: No. 1a (Duet) - 'Oh Milady' (Adele, Rosalinde)
Die Flermaus: Act I: Dialogue - 'Oh My Darling Rosaline' (Rosalinde, Alfred)
Die Flermaus: Act I: No. 2 Trio - 'I Can Tell You...' (Eisenstein, Rosalinde, Blind)
Die Flermaus: Act I: Dialogue - 'Poor Darling...' (Rosalinde, Eisenstein, Adele, Falke)
Die Flermaus: Act I: No. 3 Duet - 'Come Along To The Ball' (Falke, Eisenstein)
Die Flermaus: Act I: Dialogue - 'Well, What's Going On Here?' (Rosalinde, Eisenstein, Adele)
Die Flermaus: Act I: No. 4 Trio - 'Oh, My Poor Poor Darling' (Rosalinde, Alfred)
Die Flermaus: Act I: Dialogue - 'It's So Hot In Here' (Rosalinde, Alfred)
Die Flermaus: Act I: No. 5 Finale - 'Drink My Darling, Drink For Me' (Alfred, Rosalinde, Frank)
Die Flermaus: Act II: No. 6 Introduction - 'It's A Party...' (Chorus)
Die Flermaus: Act II: Dialogue - 'Ida! Adele?...Here I Am' (Ida, Adele, Falke, Orlofsky, Yvan)
Die Flermaus: Act II: No. 7 Couplets - '...I Entertain...My Guests Drink Wodka And Champagne' (Orlofsky, Einstein, Falke)
Die Flermaus: Act II: Dialogue - 'Do You Like Wodka?' (Adele, Orlofsky, Einstein, Falke)
Die Flermaus: Act II: No. 8 Ensemble And Couplets - 'I Want Your Kind Attention' (Orlofsky, Falke, Chorus, Adele, Eisenstein)
Die Flermaus: Act II: No. 8 Ensemble And Couplets - 'My Dear Marquis, It Seems To Me' (Adele, Chorus)
Die Flermaus: Act II: No. 8 Ensemble And Couplets - Dialogue - 'My Humblest Apologies, Mademoiselle Olga' (Yvan, Orlofsky, Falke, Eisenstein, Frank, Ida, Rosalinde)

Music CD 2

Die Fledermaus: Act II: Continuation Of Dialogue - 'Ah, What An Original Watch!' (Yvan, Orlofsky, Falke, Eisenstein, Frank, Ida, Rosalinde)
Die Fledermaus: Act II: No. 9 Duet - 'How Engaging, How Exciting' (Eisenstein, Rosalinde)
Die Fledermaus: Act II: Dialogue - 'That Must Be The Mysterious Count' (Frank, Adele, Chorus, Orlofsky, Ida, Rosalinde)
Die Fledermaus: Act II: No. 10 Czardas - 'Songs Of My Homeland' (Rosalinde)
Die Fledermaus: Act II: Dialogue - 'Thank You, Thank You' (Chorus, Ida, Rosalinde, Orlofsky, Falke, Eisenstein)
Die Fledermaus: Act II: No. 11 Finale - 'Champagne!' (Orlofsky, Chorus, Adele, Ida, Eisenstein, Frank, Falke, Rosalinde)
Die Fledermaus: Act II: No. 11 Finale - 'Dear Chevalier, mon bon ami' (Eisenstein, Frank, Falke, Rosalinde, Adele, Ida, Chorus, Orlofsky)
Die Fledermaus: Act II: No. 11 Finale - 'Enough, My Friend, Enough!' (Orlofsky, Chorus, Eisenstein, Frank, Rosalinde, Adele, Ida, Falke)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: No. 12 Entr'acte
Die Fledermaus: Act III: Dialogue - 'La fleur que tu m'avais jetee' (Alfred, Frosch)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: No. 13 Melodrama - 'His Majesty Will Celebrate' (Frank)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: Dialogue - 'The Warden Has Come Back' (Frosch, Frank, Adele, Ida)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: No. 14 Couplets - 'Ever Since I Was A Baby' (Adele, Ida, Frank)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: Dialogue - 'As A Chamber...Maid You Certainly Are Liberated' (Frosch, Adele, Frank, Eisenstein, Blind, Rosalinde)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: No. 15 Trio - 'To Judge This Expression' (Rosalinde, Alfred, Eisenstein)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: Dialogue - 'You Dare Approach Me?' (Rosalinde, Eisenstein, Frank, Alfred, Frosch)
Die Fledermaus: Act III: No. 16 Finale - 'O Eisenstein, You Must Not' (Chorus, Eisenstein, Falke, Orlofsky, Adele, Alfred, Rosalinde, Ida)

Music reviews of Johann Strauss Jr.: Die Fledermaus

Music Review: A sparkling performance, full of fun and great singing
Rating: 5 Stars

Musically, this performance just can't be beat. Sutherland sings with beauty, intelligence, and a sure flair for comedy. Judith Blegen sings Adele's two arias with an ease that eludes most Adeles. Her coloratura in the Laughing Song sounds more like laughter than usual, without any loss of tonal beauty. Bonynge supports the singers with tempi that bring out their best. Listen to the end of the first act, when the tempo slows and Sutherland floats a few high notes over the ensemble. This sounds more like the end of the sextet in Lucia than any other Fledermaus I have ever heard. And it works!

But what really distinguishes this performance is that everybody is having fun and relishing every moment. At one point, Judith Blegen, who also studied violin, pulls out a violin and accompanies herself on it. Even Dame Joan pokes fun at herself: Spying her maid at Orlofsky's ball, she fumes, "It's Adele... and in MY gown... CUT DOWN!" Watergate was still a current event at the time of this broadcast, and the script is peppered with references to it: "The best of people are going to jail nowadays -- doctors, lawyers, even politicians" and "Are you telling the truth?... To the best of my recollection at this point in time." And could there ever be a better Frosch than Walter Slezak? Who else could handle low comedy while lending an air of Viennese charm?

The performance is in English, with occasional forays into other languages. Listen for the moment when Eisenstein and Frank, both masquerading as Frenchmen, are encouraged to speak to each other in their native language. Their exchange is in most recordings of Fledermaus, but it is so much better here where they have the advantage of playing to an audience. And Sutherland sings the Czardas (beautifully) in Hungarian. According to the program notes, she later recalled with amusement that a review of this performance said that her rendition of the Czardas was so unintelligible it may as well have been sung in Hungarian. (Incidentally, her diction is fine in this recording. You will understand all of her dialog and almost all of her singing -- I never understand all of anyone's singing in opera.)

In case it isn't obvious, I highly recommend this recording. If only there were a video....