Ludwig Van Beethoven: Fidelio

Soloists:

Camilla Nylund (Leonore), Jonas Kaufmann (Florestan), Alfred Muff (Don Pizarro), László Polgár (Rocco)

Orchestra, choir:

Zurich Opera House choir and orchestra

Conductor:

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Director:

Jürgen Flimm

Venue:

Zurich Opera House, Zurich

Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, continues to captivate audiences with its enchanting story of true love. This production, directed by renowned opera director Jürgen Flimm, is the result of brilliant teamwork between the Zurich Opera House orchestra and choir and a magnificent cast of singers and actors. Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund in the lead role gives a magnificent performance as the loving wife Leonore and her alter ego, the young man Fidelio, with their contrasting characters. For Beethoven, these themes were merely a means to an end: "In his mind, it was all about love. Jonas Kaufmann, who has recently gained international fame, is his counterpart Florestan – the charming tenor convincingly portrays a suffering prisoner who is brought back to life by his marital love. László Polgár is the prison governor, torn between greed and compassion, and Alfred Muff plays the grim Don Pizarro, who completes the picture. Under the musical direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, this production became a truly memorable event. The Austrian conductor is renowned for the structural clarity of his interpretations, his intellectual depth, and his emotional understanding of both the music and the opera's plot. He once called this opera "a hymn to conjugal love." Although the work has long been interpreted politically as depicting oppression and liberation, imprisonment and freedom, Harnoncourt is convinced that for Beethoven these themes were merely a means to an end: “His concern was love. The real action takes place between Leonora and Florestan. Essentially, the work is about what true love can achieve and how a loving wife is willing to do anything for her husband.”