Theater an der Wien -
the venue for the first night of the operetta "Die Fledermaus"
1060 Vienna, Linke Wienzeile 6
The Theater an der Wien, the venue for the first night of the operetta "Die Fledermaus" (April 5th, 1874) was restructured in 1902. The "Papagenotor" is the only relic left from the original building.
The theatre critics rejected the operetta and blamed Strauß for choosing unsuitable libretti. The fact is that the history of this comedy of errors and mistaken identities is rather complicated. The libretto was written by Richard
Genée, based on Carl Haffners translation of the vaudeville "Le Reveillon" by Meilhac and Halév, who were Jacques Offenbachs librettists and later authors of Bizets opera "Carmen". The Viennese impresario Max Steiner had "Le Reveillon" translated by the popular authors Henri Meilhac and Jacques Halévy. 
Strauß composed the masterpiece in 42 days (working late in the night) in his villa at Hietzing. The original score proves the co-authorship of Genées
The premiere took place at the Theater an der Wien, which was then under the directorship of Marie Geistinger and Maximilian Steiner. Geistinger was the leading operetta singer and took the part of Rosalinde.
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