Overture to “Die Fledermaus”

Nineteenth-century Vienna was dominated by two forms of popular music — the operetta and the waltz. Both were much discussed in the city’s famous coffee shops, and their best tunes were written up for performance everywhere — at home, in the streets and parks, as well as in theaters, ballrooms, and casinos. A great “Golden Age” of operetta (filled, of course, with waltzes) blossomed in the city beginning in the 1860s. Johann Strauss, Jr., then at the height of his popularity, turned his attention to the theater as Vienna’s economy boomed throughout the next decade. 

The waltz had swept across Europe in the closing decades of the 18th century. The word itself came from the German verb walzen, which was originally not much more specific than the English word “dance.” Eventually, the waltz overtook the minuet in popularity, and the verb became a noun, first in English and then in German. In 1819, Carl Maria von Weber’s Invitation to the Dance set the pattern for what quickly became the typical Viennese waltz — not one dance, but a string of dances written together as a group, often alternating slower and faster sections, with the various tunes repeated and developed, almost like a short symphony. 

The waltz experienced renewed popularity throughout the 19th century, propelled by the artistry and showmanship of the Strauss family of composers, beginning with Johann Strauss, Sr. (1804–1849). His touring orchestra, along with that of his even more famous son, Johann, Jr., spread the waltz craze throughout Europe and even to American shores.

Our evening begins with Strauss, Jr.’s Overture to Die Fledermaus (The Bat), premiered in 1874. The operetta’s storyline of disguises, romantic trysts, and mistaken identities, plus a full-fledged party onstage — with, of course, a series of great waltzes — has made it one of the composer’s most popular works. The overture features some of its best tunes, all mixed together as a perfectly exciting prelude to much fun and merriment. 

— Eric Sellen 

Eric Sellen is The Cleveland Orchestra’s editor emeritus. He previously was program book editor for 28 seasons.