The premier of Johann Strauss Jr.’s Weiner Blut came mere months after the composer’s death, and precipitated a tragedy in itself by bankrupting the theater...

The premier of Johann Strauss Jr.’s Weiner Blut came mere months after the composer’s death, and precipitated a tragedy in itself by bankrupting the theater manager, leading to his suicide. In its revised version, it been a steady repertoire presence for nearly a century. Set at the time of the Congress of Vienna (1814-15), the work follows a traditional operetta plot full of mistaken identities. The music, which includes the Blue Danube Waltz, is sublime. This production, from the 2007 Seefestspiele Moerbisch Austria Festival, stars Harald Serafin, Rainer Trost and Noëmi Nadelmann.