Fantasy on Themes from "Die Fledermaus" (2016) for flute and guitar

duration: 9:30'

Commissioned by the Arie Duo (Anita Farkas and Juan Carlos Arancibia)

First Performance: Arie Duo, Haus Villigst, Schwerte, Germany

Recordings:
Arie Duo: Cuentos de Opera (GWK Records)

To get the printed score/parts or download in PDF format, please go to my Gumroad shop page

live recording performed by the Arie Duo (flautist Anita Farkas and guitarist Juan Carlos Arancibia)

Programme Note

Johann Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus” is the most celebrated of all operettas (light opera which combines spoken dialogue, songs and dances). Indeed, in a sense the work virtually defines the genre. Its story centers on a magnificent masked ball that brings together the main characters of the opera in various disguises, providing Strauss with ample opportunities for farce and humor as well as genuine human emotion. The ballrom setting of the operetta offered the ideal context for Strauss's unequalled flair for the waltz, and the piece is full of such tunes alongside a variety of other song forms.

I was delighted when the Arie Duo commissioned me to write a fantasy on themes from the operetta. Like my other opera Fantasies, this piece has no pretensions other than to combine some great tunes with a good measure of instrumental virtuosity, harking back to the days of the 19th century salon concert.