OperaPremiered 1874Libretto by Carl Haffner and Richard Genée
Synopsis
Die Fledermaus is a sparkling operetta that celebrates the triumph of wit and merriment over social pretension and marital discord. When the dissolute Gabriel von Eisenstein faces imprisonment for insulting a police officer, his wife Rosalinde and her former admirer Alfred conspire to help him escape. Eisenstein instead attends a glittering masked ball hosted by the Russian Prince Orlofsky, where he encounters his own wife in disguise and becomes entangled in a web of mistaken identities. Meanwhile, the bumbling prison governor Frank arrives at the ball seeking Eisenstein, only to be seduced by the revelry. As dawn breaks and the masquerade dissolves, all parties find themselves at the prison, where confusion reigns until the truth emerges. The operetta culminates in reconciliation and forgiveness, as Eisenstein and Rosalinde rediscover their affection amid the chaos, proving that champagne, music, and laughter can mend even the most fractured relationships.