Libretto: Nikolay Erdman, Sergey Volsky, Gábor Miklós Kerényi based on libretto by Sebastian Haffner and Richard Genée
Musical director: Gianluca Marcianò (Italy)
Director:  Gábor Miklós Kerényi (Hungary)
Set design: Tamás Rákay (Hungary)
Costume design: Ágnes Éva Gyarmathy (Hungary)
Lighting design:  Péter Somfai (Hungary)
Chorus master: People’s Artist of Belarus, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus Nina Lomanovich
Choreography: winner of international competitions Olga Kostel
Assistant directors: Tamás Pányik (Hungary), Natalia Baranovskaya
Assistant designer: Natalia Shipuk
Conductor:  Vladimir Ovodok
Running time:  2 hours 50 minutes with one interval
Sung in Russian with Russian and English surtitles
Premiere: 16 April 2019

Act 1 

At Eisenstein’s 

Alfred, an Italian tenor, is hopelessly in love with Heinrich Eisenstein’s wife, Rosalinde, and sings her a serenade. Rosalinde’s maid, Adele, laughs at his feeling, but Alfred knows how to get the maid’s help. The invitation to the ball at Prince Orlofsky’s will open the doors to Rosalinde’s chambers for him and will rid him of the presence of strangers. Adele under the invented pretext gets permission from her mistress to be off for the whole evening.

Enraged, Rosalinde’s husband rushes into the living room and reports that his lawyer has lost the case, and now he, the banker Heinrich Eisenstein, is sentenced to eight days in prison. Adele announces the arrival of the lawyer, Blind, who demands payment for his services. After a heated debate, Blind withdraws proudly.

Suddenly Dr Falke enters. He persuades Eisenstein to accompany him to the masquerade ball at Prince Orlofsky’s this night. Heinrich deceives Rosalinde and goes to the party instead of prison.

After his departure Alfred comes to Rosalinde, hoping that his love will finally be reciprocated. Suddenly the governor of the prison Frank appears: he has come to take Heinrich to prison. Fearing that her reputation may be damaged, Rosalinde passes Alfred off as her husband. Enamoured with Rosalinde, the singer is ready to do anything to get at least one kiss. The happy and fairly drunk young man goes to prison. 

Act 2

Masquerade ball at Prince Orlofsky’s

Falke has prepared a real entertainment for Prince Orlofsky and his guests: it is a sophisticated abasement of Eisenstein. Three years ago, after a night of masquerade, the frivolous banker decided to play a trick on his friend and left a drunken Falke in a suburban park ... in a bat costume! Today, the sophisticated «revenge of the bat» will make him pay for the humiliation experienced by the notary.

The lawyer passes Frank and Heinrich, who do not speak French, off as the French elite. Eisenstein is introduced as Marquis Renard, and Frank as Chevalier Chagrin; Adele poses as a member of the beau monde Olga. Eisenstein recognizes his maid, which makes him utterly baffled. Adele ridicules him publicly. 

The arrival of a guest of honour, a mysterious Hungarian countess in a mask, becomes the culmination of the evening. It’s Rosalinde. Her appearance at the ball is part of Falke’s cunning plan. Eisenstein immediately decides to ask the beautiful stranger out on a date and to get her to requite his feeling at any cost.  The so-called countess coaxes a watch out of the so-called marquis, which later will serve as irrefutable proof of her husband’s infidelity.

Act 3

In prison 

The jailer Frosch, a drunkard and a lazybones, is bending his elbow and talking about life. Frank, the governor of the prison, comes to work after the masquerade. Eisenstein appears and after a brief conversation with Frank realizes that another man was arrested yesterday in his house and under his name. 

Rosalinde secretly arrives at the prison to have a talk with Alfred.

Intending to unmask his wife’s infidelity, Eisenstein disguises himself as a lawyer and begins questioning Rosalinde and Alfred, trying to get their confession.

Overwhelmed with jealousy, Heinrich reveals who he is and accuses his wife. Prince Orlofsky and all other characters of the comedy The Revenge of the Bat, who come just in time for the denouement, reconcile the spouses and raise their glass of champagne to the health of all participants of Falke’s prank.

.