Die Fledermaus

蝙蝠之謎

六月十三,十四日(星期六,日)下午七時三十分

香港文化中心大劇院

Die Fledermaus

Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

13, 14, June 2009 Sat and Sun 7:30 pm

Described by musical critics at the time as nothing more than a "motif of waltz and polka melodies", the operatta Die Fledermaus (Meaning “Bat” in German) by Johann Strauss II withstood the test of time as staying one of the most celebrated operatic works after its premiere in 1874. The story tells how Dr. Falke revenges on his friend Eisenstein, who made a practical joke on Falke leaving him sleeping in a bat costume in the town square after getting drunk. With branded Viennese elegance and sparkling orchestration, the “Waltz King” tied up the story with sweet melodies and soothing harmonies, interwoven with whimsical dialogues. It’s a wild musical party that is sure to have you singing along and laughing out loud.

小約翰‧史特勞斯的名作《蝙蝠之謎》曾被當時的樂評家認為「不過是一碟華爾滋及波爾卡舞曲大雜薈」，但自1874年在維也納首演以來，至今仍是輕歌劇中最受歡迎的經典劇目之一。《蝙蝠之謎》劇情描述艾森斯坦男爵因侮辱官員，即將鎯鐺入獄。朋友福克博士建議他趁入獄之前，好好與美女們共舞，享受人生，遂邀請男爵參加一場化妝舞會，接連衍生一連串花花草草荒謬趣事，原來這一切都是福克博士為了復仇所一手策劃的鬧劇。最後大家前嫌盡釋，就怪都是香檳惹的禍。作曲家把他的圓舞曲旋律才華，毫不保留的灌注在劇中詠嘆調和管絃樂中，穿插著風趣幽默、妙趣橫生的對白，詼諧、荒誕的故事又不失華麗優雅，令人忍俊不禁之餘，亦盡揭歐洲十九世紀上流社會的荒唐生活。