Fledermaus-Quadrille, Op. 363

Program notes

About the Work

The Fledermaus-Quadrille distils the most famous of all Viennese operettas into a single dance. Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus (‘The Bat’), premiered at the Theater an der Wien in April 1874, is the supreme masterpiece of the genre. It is a champagne comedy of disguises, flirtations and a revenge prank that ends in laughter, and its score overflows with irresistible tunes. As was the custom, Strauss arranged its highlights into the dance forms of the ballroom, and this quadrille gathers the operetta’s melodies into the five contrasting figures of that elegant set dance. The quadrille, a French import that became a fixture of Viennese balls, threads together a sequence of lively episodes, each in a different tempo and mood. Hearing the well-loved Fledermaus melodies recast as dance music is part of the New Year’s Concert’s particular pleasure, a reminder of the seamless traffic between Strauss’s theatre and the ballroom.

What to Listen For

A quadrille comes in five (sometimes six) short numbered figures, each with its own tempo, so listen for the music’s frequent changes of gear. The fun lies in spotting the tunes: melodies from the operetta flash past in quick succession, recast to fit the steps of the dance. The effect is a witty, fast-moving medley, a love letter to Die Fledermaus in miniature.