It was a wonderful surprise when I once again got emails requesting what has become a New Year’s tradition on the Sunday Opera. I’m rather pleased to once again offer a European tradition on this week’s Sunday Opera (12/29 3:00 p.m.) as we prepare you for your New Year’s celebrations with Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.”
In brief, the plot centers on the actress Rosalinde (Hilde Gueden) and her husband Eisenstein (Waldemar Kmentt) who are in Vienna to celebrate the New Year. At the suggestion of their friend Dr. Falke (Walter Berry), they are staying at the Imperial Hotel. Unbeknownst to them, Falke has hired the hotel concierge as part of his revenge plot on Eisenstein, two years in the making. Most of the fun takes place at the New Year’s Eve ball thrown by Prince Orlofsky (Regina Resnik) and includes a disguised Rosalinde flirting with her philandering husband, and a pocket watch that is an important plot device.
This delightfully comic battle-of-the-sexes features some stellar singing and a cast that includes Giuseppe Zampieri, Eberhard Wachter, Peter Kelin, Erich Kunz, and Hedwig Schubert.
In addition to these, the gala concert at Count Orlafsky’s ball includes stellar turns from Renata Tebaldi, Birgit Nilsson, Mario del Monaco, Teresa Berganza, Joan Sutherland, Jussi Bjorling, Leontyne Price, and a particularly charming duet by Giulietta Simionato and Ettore Bastianni among others. Herbert Von Karajan conducts the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Chorus.
Of course, we’ll also be continuing with the tradition of a series of waltzes for the New Year. This time, we have a medley featuring works by Lanner, Ivonici, Kreisler, Josef Strauss, Oscar Straus, Stolz, Lehar, and Sieczynski. We’ll also sample works by Richard Strauss in an arrangement by Rudolf Kempe, as well as other works by Josef Lanner, Franz Lehar, and Josef Strauss.
Tune in and join the tradition for a charming afternoon of great singing, fun, and some fabulous waltzes.
