Johann Strauss, Jr. (1824 - 1899) Overture "Die Fledermaus", RV
503
The Strauss family were three generations of Viennese dance composers, most of them called Johann. They were hugely popular & very successful, becoming very rich in the process. As well as dances they wrote several operettas, of which Die Fledermaus (1847) is by far the best. The title “The Bat” refers to a disguise worn by the hero at a fancy dress ball. The overture is a "trailer" for the tunes in the show to follow, and it starts loudly – a standard technique of the time to stop the audience talking!
