Fidelio

Synopsis

"Fidelio" is the name assumed by Leonore, whose innocent husband Florestan has been imprisoned without trial by a corrupt political regime. Her risky two-year search for him has led to her disguising herself as a political agent, and infiltrating the prison where she believes him to be incarcerated Her fears are justified, and she even finds herself digging his grave, prior to summary execution. The moving love-story of their apparently doomed reconciliation reaches heights of joy when an unexpected amnesty leads to his release, and her pardon form impersonation.

Our Review:

30 March 2011

Beethoven’s only opera is a totemic symbol of liberty. It stands resolutely against physical imprisonment, and barks loudly for political, intellectual and artistic freedom - even for those who might not be worthy of it. The plot is akin to an Alexandre Dumas’ novel; double-crossings, subterfuge and plain shenanigans leading to the mother of all jailbreaks masterminded by an ingenious woman prepared to risk her life for justice.

This production, originally by Jurgen Flimm - here revived by Daniel Dooner, jollies along very sleepily with the disguised Leonore (played by Nina Stemme) making doe-eyes at Rocco’s daughter until Don Pizarro sweeps in (played with dynamism by John Wegner) and tilts the drama to a more sinister angle. There was unusual gravity in the spoken sections, particularly from Kurt Rydl as Rocco, and deft touches such as the beautifully sung chorus of prisoners, but the opera doesn’t really break out of the moulds set by BeethovenR...

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