Fidelio

in
 

Beethoven Fidelio opera (1806 version) to libretto by Joseph Ferdinand von Sonnleithner and Stephan von Breuning. Directed 2020 by Christoph Waltz at the Theater an der Wien, Austria. Stars Nicole Chevalier (Leonore), Eric Cutler (Florestan), Gábor Bretz (Don Pizarro), Christof Fischesser (Rocco), Mélissa Petit (Marzelline), Benjamin Hulett (Jaquino), Károly Szemerédy (Don Fernando), Johannes Bamberger (First Prisoner), and Dumitru Mădăraşăn (Second Prisoner). Manfred Honeck conducts the Wiener Symphoniker and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set design by Barkow Leibinger; costume design by Judith Holste; lighting design by Henry Braham. Directed for TV by Felix Breisach. Sung in German. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Beethoven wrote 3 versions of what I call “Leonore/Fidelio”:

  1. 1805, now often if not usually called “Leonore 1”

  2. 1806, now often if not usually called “Leonore 2”

  3. 1814, now usually called “Fidelio”

We have long had two versions of the 1814 Fidelio in HDVD on our Alphalist (one on Opus Arte from Opernhaus Zürich and another on Sony from the 2015 Salzburg Festival). We also have a Blu-ray by Opera Lafayette of Leonore 1, the 1805 version.

Now subject title brings us a rendition of Leonore 2 (1806) from the Theater an der Wien. Of course, life being inherently complicated, Unitel calls it “Fidelio (1806)” instead of “Leonore 2.” The upshot is that we now have at least one Blu-ray of all of Beethoven’s 3 versions of Leonore/Fidelio.

Subject title was reviewed by Peter Quantrill in the February 2021 Gramophone (pages 74-85). Praising all the lead singers, the orchestra, and Waltz for his clean staging (“throwing out clunky naturalism”) he concludes, “Don’t miss it.” He adds that the show probably looks better in the HT than it did to the stage audience.

Here’s a trailer from C Major about Fidelio (1806 version) from Theater an der Wien:

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