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Die Fledermaus Fun Facts
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We’ve said it, time and again: opera is not “musical spinach.” Yes, it’s nutritious, substantial even, but you don’t have to hold your nose and swallow. Opera is consistently entertaining, both onstage and off, and occasionally, it’s downright outrageous. Need proof? Check out these Fun Facts. |
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There have been at least 17 film versions of Die Fledermaus, beginning with a 1923 silent film. Today, there are at least twenty different audio recordings available for your enjoyment. You’ve heard Johann Strauss’s glorious melodies from Die Fledermaus in such movies as Joseph von Sternberg’s “The Great Waltz” (1938) and 1977’s “Padre Padrone. But you were more likely to run across his other hits, such as “Tales from the Vienna Woods” (“Gallipoli”) and “The Blue Danube” (“2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” “The End of the Affair,” and “Bratz”) in films of every kind.
Johann Strauss the First didn’t want his sons following him into the music business, so, Johann II studied music in secret while working as a bank clerk. The man composer Richard Wagner praised as “the most musical brain in Europe” eventually composed nearly 400 waltzes, in addition to his operettas.
A Batman-like character in the subversive cult cartoon series “The Tick” is called by the name, Die Fledermaus. Ditto for the comic book.
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