Blindekuh
Johann Strauss II’s forgotten operetta
Blindekuh (‘Blind Man’s Buff’) was Johann Strauss II’s sixth operetta and his least known. Neglected for well over a century, it was revived by Dario Salvi and the forces on this album in January 2019. The work’s initial lack of success is hard to explain but it may have been caused by a confusing libretto – the music itself is vibrant and captivating with waltzes, polkas, mazurkas, marches and bel canto arias. Performed in a concert version without dialogue, and in accordance with performing traditions, this production restores the work to the status of one of Strauss’s most melodically seductive works.
‘An operatic gem.’ – The Light Music Society
WATCH VIDEO TRAILER
Listen to an excerpt from Overture
World Premiere Recording
8.660434-35 | 730099043472
DISCOVER
Artists
Robert Davidson
Herr Scholle
Robert Davidson
Robert Davidson, Bass-baritone

Robert Davidson has sung leading roles with numerous professional organisations in the US, Latin America and Europe. At home in a broad range of styles, his rich, flexible voice adds a golden-age touch to opera, operetta and musical theatre. Davidson is a founding member of the Philadelphia Opera Prep Club, a role study club for opera students and professionals.

Kirsten C. Kunkle
Frau Arabella
Kirsten C. Kunkle
Kirsten C. Kunkle, Soprano

American soprano Kirsten C. Kunkle has been hailed as an outstanding singing actress with a voice that has been described as beautiful, ethereal, powerful, fiery and bewitching. She is the co-founder and artistic director of Wilmington Concert Opera. Her discography includes nearly 30 recordings with Comic Opera Guild, focusing on the works of Victor Herbert.

Martina Bortolotti
Waldine
Martina Bortolotti
Martina Bortolotti, Soprano

Award-winning soprano Martina Bortolotti has sung leading roles in prestigious theatres such as the Teatro alla Scala, Teatro La Fenice and Cairo Opera House. She has sung under conductors such as Riccardo Muti and Donato Renzetti, and worked with stage directors including Franco Zeffirelli and Bepi Morassi, and has appeared at international festivals.

Roman Pichler
Hellmuth Forst
Roman Pichler
Roman Pichler, Tenor

Tenor Roman Pichler has won several competitions, and appeared in roles such as Adam and Stanislaus (Der Vogelhändler), Alfred (Die Fledermaus), Jan (Der Bettelstudent), Edwin and Boni (Die Csárdásfürstin), Zsupan (Gräfin Mariza), Caramello (Eine Nacht in Venedig), Siedler (Im weissen Rössl), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Duca (Rigoletto), Tamino and Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), and Quint (The Turn of the Screw).

James Bowers
Adolf Bothwell
James Bowers
James Bowers, Tenor

English tenor James Bowers has performed as a soloist on the concert platform in the UK and internationally. In 2017 he became an Iford Arts New Generation Artist, and he made his London operatic debut with Fulham Opera in 2018. He has recently completed his first season with Opera Holland Park and is due to return in 2020.

Andrea Chudak
Betsy
Andrea Chudak
Andrea Chudak, Soprano

Soprano Andrea Chudak has won many prizes in national and international competitions. She has performed in concerts both nationally and abroad, and has worked with the Kunming Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker and the Mittelsächsischen Philharmonie, among others. Her discography dates from 2003, and includes the rediscovery of the works of Giacomo Meyerbeer.

Daniel Schliewa
Herr Kragel
Daniel Schliewa
Daniel Schliewa, Tenor

Tenor Daniel Schliewa has worked with Theater Lübeck, Theater Bremen, Elbphilharmonie, Kunst am Kai Festival, Brahms Festival and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra as well as conductors such as Simone Young, Robert Stehli, Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Jeffrey Tate, Kent Nagano, Dario Salvi and Kaspars PutniƆš.

Emily K. Byrne
Fräulein Elvira
Emily K. Byrne
Emily K. Byrne, Mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Emily K. Byrne’s diverse range of performance credits include her European debut as a soloist with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra in their concert of Johann Strauss’s operetta Blindekuh. Her favourite roles include Rosemarie (The Duchess of Chicago), Olga (The Dollar Princess), Flora (La traviata), Mrs. Nolan (The Medium), Sesto (La clemenza di Tito) and Dorabella (Così fan tutte), among many others.

Julian Rohde
Johann
Julian Rohde
Julian Rohde, Tenor

Julian Rohde has recently worked at the opera of Hildesheim, previously performing at the Staatsoper Hamburg, where he debuted in roles including Spoletta in Tosca. Besides opera he also performs Lied and oratorios. His first album was released in cooperation with Barockwerk Hamburg.

Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus

Founded in 1928, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra has long established itself as one of the leading institutions in Bulgaria’s musical life, representative of the overall contemporary musical culture of the country. Throughout its history, the orchestra has worked with eminent conductors such as Bruno Walter, Hermann Abendroth, Kurt Masur, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Valery Gergiev, Karl Österreicher, Neville Marriner, Charles Dutoit and others. The Orchestra has received many prestigious accolades including Musician of the Year, awarded by the programme Allegro Vivace radio contest hosted on the Horizont channel on Bulgarian National Radio, the Golden Lyre and Crystal Lyre awarded by the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers and Classic FM Radio, the Honorary Sign of Sofia and the Honorary Sign of the President of Bulgaria.

Dario Salvi
Dario Salvi

Dario Salvi is a Scottish-Italian conductor, musicologist and researcher who specialises in the restoration and performance of rare works. Salvi has conducted symphonic works, opera and operettas across Europe, the Middle East and the US. His passion is the rediscovery and performance of long-forgotten masterpieces by the likes of Suppé, Meyerbeer, Rumshinsky, Genée, Auber, and many others. He is collaborating with Naxos on recording a series on Romantic ballets, including works by Minkus, Pugni, Adam and others, and a series on Auber’s overtures and orchestral music. Two other important projects include recording the last three missing operas by Johann Strauss II and three never before recorded operatic works by Giacomo Meyerbeer.

www.dariosalvi.com/