Beethoven: Fidelio, Op. 72

Jonas Kaufmann and Camilla Nylund fearlessly [pack] every phrase with compellingly truthful shades of meaning. Harnoncourt's Beethoven is famously raw and earthy: strong on struggle and on the... — BBC Music Magazine, August 2016, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 1st Apr 2016
Catalogue No: 109224
Label: Arthaus Musik

Live from the Zurich Opera House, 2004
Camilla Nylund (Leonore), Jonas Kaufmann (Florestan), László Polgár (Rocco), Christoph Strehl (Jaquino) Alfred Muff (Pizarro), Elizabeth Rae Magnuson (Marzelline), Günther Groissböck (Fernando), Boguslaw Bidzinski (First Prisoner) & Gabriel Bermúdez (Second Prisoner)
Opernhaus Zürich
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Jürgen Flimm (director)

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Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio never ceases to fascinate audiences with its spellbinding story of true love. Staged by renowned opera director Jürgen Flimm this production is the outstanding result of the teamwork of the orchestra and chorus of the Zurich Opera House with a cast of magnifi cent singer-actors. Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund in the title role presents a wonderful portrayal of the opposing characters of the loving wife, Leonore, and her alter ego, the young man Fidelio. The internationally renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann is her counterpart Florestan – the attractive singer plays a convincing suffering prisoner, brought back to life by marital love. László Polgár is the jailer Rocco, torn between greed and sympathy and Alfred Muff takes on the sinister Don Pizarro to complete the setting.

Under the musical direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, this production became a highly memorable event. The Austrian conductor is universally celebrated for the structural transparency of his interpretations, his intellectual penetration and his emotional understanding of both music and opera plot. He once called this opera “a hymn of praise to marital love”. Although the work has a long tradition of being interpreted in political terms portraying oppression and liberation, imprisonment and freedom, Harnoncourt is adamant that, for Beethoven, these topics were only a means to an end: “What he was concerned about is love. The real action is between Leonore and Florestan. Essentially, the work is about what can be achieved by true love and the fact that a loving wife is ready to do anything for her husband.”

Sound Formats: PCM Stereo, dts-HD Master Audio 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

Audio Language: DE

Subtitles: GB, DE, FR, ES, IT

Blu-ray Disc 25 GB (Single Layer)

Resolution: 1080i High Definition (Upscale)

Running Time: 128 mins

FSK: 0

Reviews

August 2016

Jonas Kaufmann and Camilla Nylund fearlessly [pack] every phrase with compellingly truthful shades of meaning. Harnoncourt's Beethoven is famously raw and earthy: strong on struggle and on the composer's robust musical roots...The cameras' eyes direct us almost imperceptibly to crucial moments of musical and human relationship.

August 2016

[Nylund’s] bright soprano is on the right side of heroic while still remaining feminine, the perfect mix for the noble wife disguised as a boy…[Harnoncourt’s] interpretation here sees him at his best. The opening chords of the overture bristle with excitement and dramatic tension [and] his dramatic pacing of the big moments feels just right, and the ensembles move with great style

August 2016

Kaufmann sings his big aria with his customary combination of immaculate technical address, a blend of lyricism with a wide range of dynamics, including serious power when required.

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Beethoven: Fidelio, Op. 72

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Beethoven: Fidelio, Op. 72

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