Williamsburg Regional Library

Die Fledermaus, Johann Strauss

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videorecording

Die Fledermaus

videorecording

57555056

Johann Strauss

155

"Eisenstein is due to report to prison, having defaulted on his taxes. He is induced, however, to attend a fancy-dress party at Prince Orlofsky's, by his friend Dr Falke, who plans revenge for having been abandoned on a previous occasion to go home in his costume of a bat. Eisenstein's wife takes the opportunity of his absence for an assignation in her house with Alfred, who is mistaken by Frank, the prison governor, for her husband and taken to prison. Adele has sought various excuses for taking time off and in a borrowed dress attends Prince Orlofsky's party, where Rosalinde also appears, disguised as a Hungarian countess. In a play of disguises and partly mistaken identities Eisenstein flirts with his own wife and toasts, under the guise of the Marquis Renard, the prison governor Frank, introduced as the Chevalier Chagrin. They leave together, Eisenstein now intending to report to the prison. There the gaoler Frosch has drunken objections to the singing of Alfred. Adele and her sister, who have dramatic ambitions, seek Frank's help in furthering their stage careers, while Eisenstein, who now arrives, cannot persuade Frank at first of his identity and when he learns that the supposed Eisenstein is already in prison is suspicious of Rosalinde. Disguised as his lawyer Dr Blind, he cross-examines Rosalinde and Alfred, but she retaliates, when he reveals his identity, by producing Eisenstein's watch, which the supposed Hungarian countess had received from him at Prince Orlofsky's. Falke admits his part in the plot, Rosalinde and Alfred claim their assignation as a part of it, and all ends in apparent satisfaction."--Www.Naxos.com (as viewed on May 23, 2007)

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