Die Fledermaus

Episode of Series “The Australian Opera”.
Recorded live at the Sydney Opera House on July 10th 1982 for television, this famous operetta by Johann Strauss, libretto by Richard Genee and Carl Haffner, has once again proven to be a favourite with the audience. Witty, charming, comical, “Die Fledermaus” is a tale of a philandering husband, a masked ball, a wife disguised in order to trick her philandering husband, of revenge, and of other dubious and mischievous schemes which eventually result in total confusion for one and all - one may ask could it possibly have anything to do with the champagne! The great Joan Sutherland (Rosalinde), along with Robert Gard (Gabriel von Eisenstein) lead a superb cast including Anson Austin (Alfred), Monique Brynnel (Adele), Gordon Wilcock (Blind), Michael Lewis (Dr Falke), Gregory Yurisich (Frank), Graeme Ewer (Frosch), Anne Maree McDonald (Ida), Pieter Van Der Stolk (Ivan) and Heather Begg (Prince Orlofsky). Also features the Australian Opera Chorus with Martin Handley as chorus master, the Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra with Ladislav Jasek as concert master and Richard Bonynge, conductor, and a cameo appearance by Kelvin Coe and Lois Strike from the Sydney Dance Company. The stage-set and design is eloquent in its simplicity, as too the costumes and make-up. An excellent production. Sung and spoken in English.