Johann Strauss II wrote the operetta The Bat, traditionally performed at Vienna's New Year's celebrations.
The Bat, known in German as Die Fledermaus, premiered in Vienna in 1874. It is a comic operetta built around mistaken identities, disguises, a grand party, and elaborate musical numbers. Its festive setting makes it especially suited to holiday programming.
Vienna opera houses traditionally present Die Fledermaus around New Year's, and the work has become a cultural fixture of the season. It is often associated with the Vienna State Opera, though the production and broadcast schedule can vary by year.
Johann Strauss II is sometimes confused with his father, Johann Strauss I. The younger Strauss composed Die Fledermaus and the famous waltz The Blue Danube; his father was also a major Viennese dance composer but did not write this operetta.