The opera entitled ‘The Bat’ by famous Austrian composer Johann Strauss II will be introduced to Vietnamese audiences for the first time at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House at 8pm on August 19-20.

Director David Hermnann is working with sopranist Cho He Hae Ryong and Vietnamese artists to prepare for the performances.

The opera will be arranged by director David Hermnann from the German State Opera Theater and performed by aritsts from the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera.

The orchestra will be under the baton of conductor Askan Siegfried Geisler from Revier Music Theatre in Gelsenkirchen, Germany; meanwhile Vietnamese conductor Tran Nhat Minh will conduct the choir.

The songs will be sung in German while the dialogues of the play will be in Vietnamese.

The Opera ‘The Bat’ was officially launched for the first time in Vienna in 1784, becoming one of the most popular operas in the world.

In 2017, the opera has been performed in England, the US, Japan, France, Austria, Australia and Germany.

‘The bat’ has been a popular piece due to the compelling waltz music as well as the dramatic plot. It tells of Dr.Falke’s revenge on his friend, Eisenstein. He invites Eisenstein to accompany hit to a party . Participants wear masks and change their names, starting a mischievous game to confuse the audience.

In the early morning, all confusions are cleared and all participants agree that the main culprit is Champagne. All characters on the stage laugh to conclude the dramatic performance on an uplifting note.

Nhan Dan