Ludwig van Beethoven
Fidelio
LIVE IN HD
Overview
Following a string of awe-inspiring Met performances, soprano Lise Davidsen stars as Leonore, who risks everything to save her husband from the clutches of tyranny. Tenor David Butt Philip is the political prisoner Florestan, sharing the stage with bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny as the villainous Don Pizarro, veteran bass René Pape as the jailer Rocco, and soprano Ying Fang and tenor Magnus Dietrich, in his company debut, as the young Marzelline and Jaquino. Bass Stephen Milling sings the principled Don Fernando, and Susanna Mälkki conducts the Met’s striking production, which finds modern-day parallels in Beethoven’s stirring paean to freedom. This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.
English StreamText captioning is available for the Met’s transmission of Fidelio here. A transcript of the transmission will also be available to view after the live performance.
Buy tickets for Fidelio live in the opera house here.
Production a gift of Alberto Vilar
SUNG IN
GERMAN
Timeline
Timeline for the show, Fidelio
ESTIMATED RUN TIME
3 HRS 5 MINS, WITH ONE INTERMISSION
Cast
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World Premiere: Theater am Kärntnertor, Vienna, 1814.
Fidelio’sunusual structure, glorious score, and life-affirming aura make it a unique experience. It has been called a hymn to freedom and human dignity. Formally a singspiel (with musical numbers separated by spoken dialogue), Fidelio had a long and complex gestation. Its uplifting spirit made it the obvious choice for several important productions marking the end of World War II, including the reopening of the Vienna State Opera in 1955.
Creators
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was a pivotal figure in music whose orchestral, piano, and chamber works are at the center of the repertoire. He is especially known for his nine symphonies, which redefined the possibilities of the classical orchestra for all successive generations. Joseph Sonnleithner (1766–1835) was a librettist, director, and the secretary of the Vienna court theaters.
PRODUCTION
Jürgen Flimm
SET DESIGNER
Robert Israel
COSTUME DESIGNER
Florence von Gerkan
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Duane Schuler
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven
Setting
The opera is set in Seville toward the end of the 18th century, during the time of political upheaval following the French Revolution. The Met’s production places the action in an unspecified contemporary setting.
Music
The powerful and innovative use of the orchestra found throughout Fidelio is not surprising from Beethoven. Likewise, the chorus’s evocative music is expected from the composer of such notable choral works as the Missa Solemnis and the triumphant choral finale of Ninth Symphony. Yet some of the score’s greatest surprises and pleasures derive from solo and ensemble vocal writing. Beethoven creates hierarchies among his characters, from the earthly to the exalted, which are instantly recognizable in their music.
