The holiday season is a time for fun. In many places, operetta takes on a more central role in the repertoire being performed. And as such, we see many prominent singers take a stab at the lighter works.

Enter tenor Jonas Kaufmann, who is set to celebrate the New Year in his role debut as Eisenstein in “Die Fledermaus.”

Kaufmann, who has dominated the dramatic repertoire for the past years in roles such as Dick Johnson from “La Fanciulla del West” and the title role of “Otello,” will switch gears to his native German language for two concert performances of Strauss Jr.’s ever popular operetta. Kaufmann has explored operetta repertoire for years, including in his recent album “You Mean the World to Me,” and has encored several operetta arias throughout his concerts.

In addition hearing Kaufmann in something new, these performances of “Die Fledermaus” also provide an opportunity to see the tenor’s charming charisma and comic timing, which he previously demonstrated in the works of Mozart almost 10 years ago.

And for those who are not in Dresden for the performances, ZDF is set to broadcast the Dec. 30 performance around the world. Kaufmann then goes on tour to perform Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” throughout Europe before returning to the opera stage for “Fidelio.”

Recordings

For any opera lover, Kaufmann is one of the most popular artists performing around the world and he has one of the most expansive discographies today. For those who have not heard Kaufmann in operetta, his album for Sony Classical “You Mean the World to Me” is highly recommended and a good preparation for Kaufmann’s upcoming “Die Fledermaus.”

There is also his “Dolce Vita” album, which is charming and relaxing album filled with some of the greatest Italian songs of all time.

Here is a clip of Kaufmann performing his signature “Dein ist mein gazes Herz.”