Strauss, Die Fledermaus, introduction

With this post I begin a series on the classic Viennese operetta Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, jr. The series will continue the basic task of this blog—to document rising figures and especially cadence gestures in European and European-influenced music from roughly 1600 to 1950, with somewhat greater attention naturally falling on the 19th century. Now, however, I intend to put more emphasis on the expressive and dramatic functions of ascending cadence gestures in texted works. My method is quite simple: for each song or number I will ask the question, Why does an ascending melodic figure dominate the cadence(s) and not the clichéd falling version inherited from 18th century practice?

First, however, the overture, justly as famous as any of the vocal numbers. The design is one that was well known in the 19th century as the potpourri, but which has more recently been dubbed the "medley overture." That is to say, it doesn't follow the clichéd sonata or sonata-like design inherited from the 18th century and that was still present in many early to even mid-19th century opera overtures, but instead consists of a lively preview of important melodies to be encountered later. This early auditing of the show's tunes makes eminent dramatic sense, and it is hardly a surprise that the "medley overture" had almost completely replaced the old-fashioned sonata overture by 1874, the year that Die Fledermaus premiered.

The sections and their themes:

Allegro vivace 2/2
  --from Act 3, in no. 15, “Ja, ich bins, den Ihr betrogen”
Allegretto  4/4
  --same
. . . .
Allegretto 2/4
  --from Act 3, also in no. 15, “Was sollen diese Fragen hier?”
  --from Act 3, in no.16, “So erklärt mir doch”
Tempo di valse   3/4
  --from Act 2, the final section of no. 11, “Diese Tänzer mögen ruh’n”/"Stellt Euch zum Tanz"  First
    & second strain are recalled in Act 3, no. 13 (melodrama)
. . . .
Andante  3/4
  --from Act 1, no. 4, beginning, “So muß allein ich bleiben”
Allegro moderato  2/4
  --from Act 1, no. 4, “O je, O je, wie rührt mich dies”
Tempo ritenuto   2/4
  --reprise of “So erklärt mir doch”
Tempo di valse   3/4
  --reprise of “Diese Tänzer mögen ruh’n” / "Stellt Euch zum Tanz"
[Allegro moderato  2/4]
Più vivo
  --reprise of “O je, O je, wie rührt mich dies” and “Ja, ich bins, den Ihr betrogen”

Here is the list again, with musical excerpts:

--from Act 3, in no. 15, “Ja, ich bins, den Ihr betrogen”

--from Act 3, also in no. 15, “Was sollen diese Fragen hier?”

--from Act 3, in no.16, “So erklärt mir doch”

 --from Act 2, the final section of no. 11, “Diese Tänzer mögen ruh’n”/"Stellt Euch zum Tanz"

--from Act 1, no. 4, beginning, “So muß allein ich bleiben”

--from Act 1, no. 4, “O je, O je, wie rührt mich dies”

--reprise of “So erklärt mir doch”
--reprise of “Diese Tänzer mögen ruh’n” / "Stellt Euch zum Tanz"
--reprise of “O je, O je, wie rührt mich dies” and “Ja, ich bins, den Ihr betrogen”

There's little point in investigating  ascending cadences in the overture, since all the significant ones will show up again in the vocal numbers, where they are relevant to my concern in this series on gestures and text.