Die Fledermaus - Lindauer Marionettenoper

Johann Strauss · Operetta in three acts
Libretto: Richard Genée · Translation: Kurt Honolka
Duration: 140 minutes including intermission
In German with supertitles in German and English.

Production
As with all Marionettenoper productions, the staging of Die Fledermaus centered on translating music into choreographed movement. Every gesture of a character - whether sitting, standing, or taking a step - follows the music. Otto Schenk, who has directed Die Fledermaus worldwide, put it this way: "No note is accidental."

History
Die Fledermaus was created between September 1873 and March 1874. Richard Genée wrote the libretto based on a play by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy - the same duo who had provided the source material for Carmen two years earlier. Recent research suggests that Genée also played a significant role in the musical material, though he received no share of the royalties.

Die Fledermaus is considered the queen of operetta and ranks among the few works of the genre that are regularly performed at major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London.

Production Team
Puppet construction and costume design: Bernhard Leismüller & Katrin Keuthmann · Puppet heads: Sebastian Demmel · Set design: Hans Wünsch · Direction and dramaturgy: Bernhard Leismüller