Scandal or Stroke of Genius? Herheim's “Fledermaus” Divides Opinions on Strauss Anniversary
With the premiere of Johann Strauss' operetta “Die Fledermaus” at the Musiktheater an der Wien, the 200th anniversary of the Waltz King reached a highly controversial climax. Artistic director and director Stefan Herheim presented a “ludicrous” and “fast-paced” new production that playfully exaggerates and politically charges the original, which premiered there in 1874.
With the premiere of Johann Strauss' operetta “Die Fledermaus” at the Musiktheater an der Wien, the composer's 200th anniversary year celebrated a high point. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; Paul Ott / VBW, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
The Johann Strauss anniversary year 2025 in Vienna is very extensive and offers a variety of events that take place throughout the year. In any case, the “Queen of Operettas” returned to her place of origin, but little remained of the usual New Year's Eve bliss, as reported by ORF. Herheim, known for his radical interpretations, uses the popular comedy of mistaken identity as a journey through Austrian history and the “decline of the West.” In his interpretation, the private citizen Gabriel von Eisenstein becomes a Jewish character who is picked up by Nazi henchmen in the first act, set in 1938. The vengeful Dr. Falke appears as an undisguised parody of Hitler. The famous speaking role of the prison guard Frosch is interpreted by Alexander Strobele as the melancholic Emperor Franz Josef, who reflects on the declining Habsburg Empire and whose monologue is spread throughout the evening. A recurring running gag in Herheim's production is six ballet dancers in Johann Strauss costumes, who whirl through the acts like “bouquets” and transform into Nazis in leather and lacquer at Prince Orlofsky's escalating ball.
Musical “random playlist” causes irritation
Musically, too, the production breaks all boundaries. Under the baton of Petr Popelka, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra plays more than just Strauss. They deliver a kind of “random playlist” with snippets from Beethoven's “Fidelio,” the musical ‘Elisabeth’ (both also world premieres at the Theater an der Wien), but also Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini. Despite the musical expansions—the performance lasts three hours—critics praised the orchestra's “fresh” and nuanced transitions.
The ensemble of singers impressed with their high level of commitment: Hulkar Sabirova and Thomas Blondelle as the perfectly comical married couple Rosalinde and Eisenstein, Alina Wunderlin as the vocally agile chambermaid Adele, and Jana Kurucova as Prince Orlofsky. The Arnold Schoenberg Choir, conducted by Erwin Ortner, also delivered an enthusiastic performance.
All of Vienna dances: from AI waltzes to circus spectacles
The controversial production of “Die Fledermaus” is just the prelude to the gigantic anniversary year “Johann Strauss 2025,” in which Vienna will celebrate the 200th birthday of the Waltz King. Under the motto “Vienna in Strauss and Braus,” visitors can expect weekly premieres and events from ten genres throughout the year, bringing the waltz out of the concert halls and onto the streets.
The program breaks down genre boundaries and includes: The music of the future is explored with the “Waltz Symphony” (November 27, MuseumsQuartier), an AI premiere in which students composed the first symphony after Strauss using artificial intelligence. Dance looks 200 years ahead with “Strauss 2225: Dances for the Future” (premiere October 10, NEST) – choreographer Robert Binet has young dancers perform to the music of contemporary composers. Strauss meets icons of the present and the city of Vienna: Red Bull Symphonic – Johann Strauss 2025 Edition (June 20, Danube Island Festival) brings together electronic stars such as Camo & Krooked with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (free admission). “Strauss mit Aussicht” (August 2/3, Am Himmel) mixes hip-hop, rock, and queer choreography. “Caligostro – Johann Strauss im Zirkuszelt” (September 10–28, Roncalli Tent) transforms a Strauss operetta into a spectacle by Thomas Brezina. The operetta “Indigo und die 23 Räuber*innen” (Indigo and the 23 Robbers) will tour all 23 districts of Vienna in June as an open-air adventure. For the curious, there is the artistically designed escape room “Schatten des Zweifels – Im Kopf des Genies” (Shadows of Doubt – Inside the Mind of a Genius) (MuseumsQuartier). In addition to the major operettas “A Night in Venice” (premiere October 25, Volksoper) and “Wiener Blut” (August, Schönbrunn), the 200th birthday will be celebrated on October 25 with a ceremony at City Hall and concerts by the Vienna Philharmonic. Temporary exhibitions, such as those at the Jewish Museum Vienna and the Austrian National Library, shed light on the life and work of the “world star with a passion.”
The premiere of the original “Fledermaus” took place on April 5, 1874, at the Theater an der Wien and is considered the highlight of the so-called “Golden Age of Operetta.” The libretto was written by Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the French vaudeville “Le Réveillon” by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.