Viennese blood

There are thousands of reasons why operetta is so great. The smell of the landscape, the atmosphere of the era, the accents of the language, the taste of a unique lifestyle and the immeasurable power of the melody. These elements are an expression of the human desire for a joyful existence, both then and now. Timeless and universal, Wiener Blut, based on the music of Johann Strauss II and restored soon after his death, is witty, light and sentimental, entering into the blood and demanding to be listened to with the heart.

The action of the operetta “Viennese Blood” takes place in the context of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, at which European monarchs convened to restore former governments in order to balance mutual influence and preserve peace. My staging reveals the fragrance of the time and the historical fact that the numerous social occasions accompanying the main political event were conquered by a new dance — the Viennese waltz. This revolutionary ballroom dance is the hidden star of Viennese operetta: ignoring old moral conventions, it unites men and women as it was previously allowed. In “Viennese Blood,” the waltz turns all the characters into sensuality: formal principles are perversely transformed into the fullness of desire and lust, leading to joyful madness.

Giorgio Madia, director