The Secret Waltz
From Vienna to New York: How Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus Use Music to Unmask Hidden Desires
As we prepare for a special screening of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut on October 7 at 7 PM at the VIFF Centre—co-presented by Vancouver Opera and VIFF—Jacques Lacombe, Vancouver Opera’s Music Director, and Ashley Daniel Foot, Director of Engagement and Civic Practice will explore the fascinating connections between Kubrick’s final film and Strauss’s operetta Die Fledermaus. In anticipation of the event, we wanted to share some thoughts on the deeper thematic and musical links between these two masterpieces. If you’re interested in joining us for this exciting event, you can grab your tickets here.
In 1999, Stanley Kubrick released his final film, Eyes Wide Shut, a psychological thriller that stunned audiences with its exploration of hidden desires, masks, and the mysteries of human relationships.
At first glance, it may seem to have little in common with Johann Strauss’s operetta Die Fledermaus, a lighthearted comic masterpiece from 1874 that celebrates Viennese high society with sparkling waltzes and playful deception.
But beneath the surface, these two works share deep thematic and musical connections that are worth exploring. Both works delve into the concept of masks—both literal and metaphorical—and both use music to reveal the hidden truths that linger just beneath the surface of our social interactions.
Thematic Connections: Deception and the Masks We Wear
Die Fledermaus centers around a masked ball, where characters disguise their true identities, flirt with deception, and ultimately find themselves entangled in a web of misunderstandings. It’s all in good fun, and by the end, the characters laugh off their escapades with the famous "Champagne polka." The masks are removed, and social harmony is restored.
In Eyes Wide Shut, masks take on a much more sinister tone. Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) finds himself drawn into a secret society where participants wear masks to conceal their identities during a mysterious and dangerous ritual. Kubrick uses this masked ball as a symbol for the ways in which people hide their desires, fears, and true intentions—even from themselves. The masks in Eyes Wide Shut are not playful; they are foreboding, representing the darker side of human nature.
Both works ask profound questions: What are we hiding? What truths lie beneath the personas we present to the world?
Musical Connections: The Waltz as a Symbol
Perhaps the most striking connection between Die Fledermaus and Eyes Wide Shut is the waltz—a central musical motif in both works. Strauss, known as the "Waltz King," filled Die Fledermaus with exuberant waltzes that represent the elegance and charm of Viennese society. The waltz, with its graceful rhythm and swirling movement, reflects the playful deceptions and flirtations of the characters.
In Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick uses the waltz in a much darker, more introspective way. The film opens with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2, a piece that is haunting and melancholic, far removed from the joy of Strauss’s waltzes. This eerie waltz immediately sets the tone for the film, suggesting that beneath the polished surfaces of wealth and respectability lies something far more unsettling.
Here’s Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2, which Kubrick uses to open Eyes Wide Shut:
Compare this to the famous waltz from Die Fledermaus:
While both pieces are technically waltzes, the mood and emotional tone are entirely different. Strauss’s waltz is light, airy, and joyful, while Shostakovich’s waltz is filled with an unsettling sense of irony and tension. This contrast highlights the different ways in which these two works use the same musical form to explore the complexities of human behaviour.
Music as Psychological Exploration
Beyond the waltz, both works use music to delve into the psychological experiences of their characters. In Die Fledermaus, Strauss’s lively and tuneful score mirrors the playful deceptions of the plot. The music is fast-paced, buoyant, and full of energy, encouraging the audience to laugh along with the characters’ flirtations and misunderstandings.
In Eyes Wide Shut, music plays a far more introspective role. One of the most memorable pieces in the film’s score is György Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata II, a minimalist piano composition that Kubrick uses to heighten the sense of paranoia and disorientation as Dr. Harford becomes more deeply enmeshed in the secret world he’s discovered. The repetitive, stark piano notes mirror Harford’s growing sense of dread and moral confusion.
You can hear Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata II here:
This minimalist piano motif stands in stark contrast to the lush orchestration of Strauss’s score in Die Fledermaus, but both pieces serve a similar function: they guide the audience through the emotional and psychological landscape of the characters. In Strauss’s operetta, the music keeps the tone light and comedic, while in Eyes Wide Shut, it deepens the sense of mystery and foreboding.
The Power of Music to Unmask Hidden Truths
Ultimately, both Die Fledermaus and Eyes Wide Shut use music to explore the theme of unmasking—whether it’s the playful unmasking of identities at the end of Strauss’s operetta, or the more troubling revelations that come from the masks being removed in Kubrick’s film. In both works, the act of unmasking reveals uncomfortable truths about human nature, trust, and desire.
In Die Fledermaus, the unmasking leads to laughter and reconciliation, with the famous “Champagne Aria” celebrating the return to social harmony. In Eyes Wide Shut, however, the unmasking is far more ambiguous. There is no clear resolution, and the characters are left to confront the unsettling realities that have been exposed.
Kubrick leaves us with far more questions than answers, and the music reflects this ambiguity. It’s a reminder that beneath the surface of our daily lives, there are always hidden layers of desire, fear, and mystery waiting to be uncovered.
A Musical Journey from Vienna to New York
Despite their differences in tone, style, and historical context, Die Fledermaus and Eyes Wide Shut both use music to explore the same fundamental human questions: Who are we behind the masks we wear? How much of ourselves do we hide from the world? And what happens when those masks come off?
As we prepare for Vancouver Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus, it’s worth reflecting on how music, in both Strauss’s operetta and Kubrick’s film, guides us through the dance of deception and revelation. Whether it’s the playful waltzes of Vienna or the haunting melodies of New York, music has the power to unmask our deepest truths.