Fidelio
Ludwig van Beethoven
New Teatro alla Scala Production
Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus
From 7 to 23 December 2014
Running Time: 2 hours 50 minutes intermission included
Sung in German with electronic libretto in Italian, English, German
A tribute to marriage coming from a bachelor is a tad suspicious. But for Beethoven the idealization of the woman-bride was heartfelt and sincere. It has always been a unique opera starring a courageous wife who wows audiences. Fidelio is a moral title, associated with the ideals of liberty of the French Enlightenment. Nobility and commoners are united in their thirst for justice against the oppression of power. For once the faithful consort of a desaparecido wins her battle against a treacherous tyrant, and the collective joy truly is “nameless”, as is sung on the stage. Especially because the “our heroes to the rescue” finale is recounted by the triumphant symphonic flair of the quintessential musician. Beethoven really does bring the world to collapse at the conclusion of this opera, which begins like a delightful little comedy, but which scales and transcends all the summits of the dramatic-musical art. Daniel Barenboim has spent a lifetime examining every note of Beethoven and his maturity unquestionably holds some thrilling and touching surprises in store for us. Great anticipation for the choices of the very sophisticated English director Deborah Warner, who charmed audiences a few years ago with a gorgeous production of Britten’s Death in Venice. And the lyrical difficulty of the masterpiece has been overcome, with a cast of eminent names from international lyric opera. The show is included in the”Milan Heart of Europe” program, promoted by the Municipality of Milan during the semester of the Italian Presidency of the EU: no other title could better represent the values and culture of Europe.
DIRECTION
- Conductor
- Daniel Barenboim
- Staging
- Deborah Warner
- Sets and costumes
- Chloe Obolensky
- Lights
- Jean Kalman
CAST
- Don Fernando
- Peter Mattei
- Don Pizarro
- Falk Struckmann
- Florestan
- Klaus Florian Vogt; Jonas Kaufmann (10 Dec.)
- Leonore
- Anja Kampe
- Rocco
- Kwangchul Youn
- Marzelline
- Mojca Erdmann
- Jaquino
- Florian Hoffmann
- Erster Gefangener
- Oreste Cosimo
- Zweiter Gefangener
- Devis Longo
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Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano
Fidelio (Act I): Leonore/Fidelio (Anja Kampe); Rocco (Kwangchul Youn)Synopsis
Act I
The state prison courtyard.
Jaquino, the prison turnkey, loves Marzelline, daughter of the chief jailer Rocco (Duet: “Jetzt, Schätzchen, jetzt sind wir allein”), but the girl has rejected his attentions since the arrival at the prison of the young Fidelio, who is in reality Leonore, whose husband Florestan vanished mysteriously two years ago. Disbelieving rumours that he is dead, Leonore has come to the prison into which she suspects Florestan has been thrown by his enemy the governor Don Pizarro. Here, in male attire and under the name of Fidelio, she has earned the trust of Rocco, who has made “him” his assistant. Marzelline is alone and sings her love of Fidelio, whom she hopes soon to marry (Aria: “O wär ich schon mit dir vereint”).
Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano
Fidelio (Act I): Don Pizarro (Falk Struckmann); Rocco (Kwangchul Youn)Rocco interprets his young assistant’s zeal as a sign of his love for Marzelline (Quartet: “Mir ist so wunderbar”) and therefore promises his daughter in marriage to Fidelio. He reminds them both, though, not to forget that money also is necessary to happiness (Aria: “Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben”). Rocco agrees to Fidelio’s request to take on even the heaviest duties and to accompany him to the dungeons, where the disguised wife suspects that Florestan is being confined (Trio: “Gut, Söhnchen, gut”). To the sound of a march, the prison governor Pizarro enters, accompanied by officials. He is given a letter warning him that Don Fernando, minister of Spain, is due shortly to inspect the prison.
Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano
Pizarro at once decides to get rid of the prisoner held in a secret dungeon, and relishes the thought of his murder (Aria with chorus: “Ha, welch ein Augenblick”). He asks Rocco to kill the prisoner and to hide the corpse. When Rocco refuses, he orders him to dig a grave, announcing that he himself will do the deed (Duet: “Jetzt, Alter, jetzt hat es Eile”). Leonore, who has heard all, is horrified but does not give up hope of rescuing her husband (Recitative and aria: “Komm, Hoffnung, laß den letzten Stern”). She persuades Rocco to let the prisoners out for a few minutes, and they are seen walking unsteadily into the unfamiliar sunlight and fresh air (Finale: “O welche Lust, in freier Luft”). Meanwhile Fidelio gets permission from Rocco to go with him into the dungeons and to help him dig the prisoner’s grave. Pizarro is enraged by the jailer’s decision to let out the prisoners and has them sent straight back into their cells. Rocco calms his wrath by reminding him of Florestan’s imminent death.
Fidelio (Act II): Florestan (Klaus Florian Vogt)
Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy AmisanoAct II
A dark dungeon.
Florestan, imprisoned by Pizarro for having denounced his misdeeds, lies chained in the darkness but in the knowledge that he did right. In his delirium he has a vision of Leonore who has come like an angel to set him free (Introduction and aria: “In des Lebens Frühlingstagen”). Rocco and Fidelio enter to carry out Pizarro’s orders and to dig the prisoner’s grave (Melologue and duet: “Nur hurtig fort, nur frisch gegraben”). Leonore recognises Florestan, but waits before disclosing her identity to him; she comforts him with bread and wine and in return receives a promise of a reward in a better world (Trio: “Euch werde Lohn in bessern Welten”). Pizarro goes down to the dungeons, ready to commit his foul deed. As he raises his arm to stab the prisoner, he lets himself be recognised. But Leonore flings herself between the two men and likewise makes herself known. When Pizarro recovers from his surprise, he steps forward to slay them both, but again Leonore prevents him by threatening him with a pistol (Quartet: “Er sterbe! Doch er soll erst wissen”). A trumpet-blast is heard from the tower announcing the arrival of the minister. Pizarro hurries up from the dungeon to receive him. Leonore and Florestan can at last embrace and give vent to their joy (Duet: “O namenlose Freude!”).
Fidelio (Act II): Florestan (Klaus Florian Vogt)
Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy AmisanoThe parade ground of the castle with a statue of the king.
Don Fernando bears a message of fraternity and liberty: by the king’s orders, all the prisoners are to be released. When Rocco ushers Florestan and Leonore into Don Fernando’s presence, the minister is astonished to recognise his friend whom he believed to be dead. Pizarro’s crimes are revealed and he is arrested. Everybody exults as Leonore frees Florestan from his chains (Finale: “Heil sei dem Tag, heil sei der Stunde”).
Fidelio (Act II): Leonore/Fidelio (Anja Kampe) Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano
Fidelio (Act II): Florestan (Klaus Florian Vogt); Leonore/Fidelio (Anja Kampe); Don Fernando (Peter Mattei) Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano
Fidelio (Act II): Leonore/Fidelio (Anja Kampe); Florestan (Klaus Florian Vogt); Don Fernando (Peter Mattei) Picture by Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano
Opera, My Love Magazine 