Die Fledermaus

The big selling point of this December 31, 1990 performance—mounted at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden—of Johann Strauss II's most famous operetta (a complicated farce of infidelity and mistaken identities) is that it celebrated the career of Dame Joan Sutherland, who was retiring from the stage. Although Sutherland was not part of the regular cast, she and her colleagues Marilyn Horne and Luciano Pavarotti appeared in the traditional “gala scene” at Prince Orlofsky's ball in Act 2, singing pieces by Cilea, Rossini, Saint-Saëns, and Verdi before Sutherland offered “Home Sweet Home” to expected cheers (also featured is a ballet interlude). Otherwise this staging, presented in an English translation that invites much mugging from the cast, is a rather broad affair, made all the more peculiar in that the Orlofsky role is taken by countertenor Jochen Kowalksi rather than the traditional mezzo—although Sutherland's husband Richard Bonynge's conducting does bring a solid lilt to the familiar tunes. Viewers also must suffer a prolonged comic riff at the beginning of Act 3 by John Sessions as the jailer, which recalls the music hall as much as the operatic stage, and notes the presence of John Major, the newly-installed Prime Minister, in one of the venue's boxes. Made for British TV, this Die Fledermaus (The Bat) exhibits the visual and sonic limitations one would expect of a quarter-century-plus-old TV production, but even though it will appeal more to aficionados of Sutherland than Strauss, it is a fine tribute to one of the 20th century's greatest coloratura sopranos. Presented in PCM stereo, extras include bonus segments of Sutherland singing famous arias by Verdi, Donizetti, and Bellini excerpted from filmed Opera Australia productions. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)