FIDELIO.(Review)

FIDELIO

THE CAST (in order of vocal appearance)

 
Jaquino         tenor, MATTHEW POLENZANI 
Marzelline       soprano, HEI-KYUNG HONG 
Rocco                   bass, RENE PAPE 
Leonore           soprano, KARITA MATTILA 
Don Pizarro     baritone, SERGEI LEIFERKUS 
1st Prisoner   ten., CHARLES CASTRONOVO 
2nd Prisoner    bass-bar., ALFRED WALKER 
Florestan           tenor, BEN HEPPNER 
Don Fernando        bass, JAMES MORRIS 
 
Conducted by JAMES LEVINE 
 
Production: Jurgen Flimm 
Set designer: Robert Israel 
Costume designer: Florence yon Gerkan 
Lighting designer:. Duane Schuler 
Chorus master: Raymond Hughes 
Musical preparation: Walter Taussig, 
  Jane Klaviter, Robert Morrison, 
  Gareth Morrell, Howard Watkins 
Assistant stage directors: Gina Lapinski, 
  Zoe Pappas, Stephen Pickover 
Prompter: Jane Klaviter 
German diction coach: Irene Spiegelman 
 
Production a gift of Alberto Vilar 
 
THE SCENES                         Timings (ET) 
 
ACT I   The prison                    1:30-2:40 
ACT II                                3:08-3:58 
  Sc. 1 The depths of the prison 
  Sc. 2 The prison courtyard 
 
Announcer: Peter Allen 
Audio director: Jay David Saks 
 
INTERMISSION FEATURE 
 
Producer: Michael Bronson                Timing 
Texaco's Opera Quiz(*)                2:40-3:08 
Brian Zeger questions Ken Benson, 
  David Hamilton, Sarah Bryan Miller 

(*)Send quiz questions to Texaco's Opera Quiz, F.D.R. Station, P.O. Box 805, N.Y.C. 10150, or via Texaco's home page at www.texaco.com.

THE STORY

ACT I. By the prison gatehouse, the young turnkey Jaquino tries to court Marzelline, the jailer's daughter, while she does the laundry ("Jetzt, Schatzchen, jetzt sind wir allein"). But Marzelline has eyes only for her father's new assistant, Fidelio. When Jaquino is called away, she reflects on the joys of marriage ("Oh war' ich schon mit dir vereint"). Fidelio arrives with provisions, and Rocco congratulates himself on having hired so clever a helper; the jailer assumes Fidelio is trying to impress his master so as to win Marzelline. In truth, Fidelio is Leonore, a noblewoman of Seville who has come to the jail disguised as a young man to find her husband, Florestan, a victim of tyranny who languishes somewhere in chains. Much to her discomfiture, Rocco now hails Fidelio as Marzelline's future husband (canon quartet: "Mir ist so wunderbar"). After Rocco warns the couple that money is as important as love ("Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben"), he mentions a half-starved prisoner lying in the vaults beneath them. Leonore, suspecting it may be Florestan, begs to accompany Rocco on his rounds. He agrees, though the prison governor, Don Pizarro, has forbidden the lower level to anyone but Rocco (trio: "Gut, Sohnchen, gut").

As soldiers assemble in the bleak courtyard, Pizarro receives a dispatch informing him that Don Fernando, the minister of state, is on his way to inspect the fortress. Fearing Florestan will be discovered, the vengeful governor resolves to kill his personal enemy without delay ("Ha! welch' ein Augenblick!"). Sending his captain to sound a warning trumpet when Don Fernando arrives, Pizarro orders Rocco to murder Florestan. When the jailer refuses, saying it is not part of his duties, Pizarro tells him to dig a grave down in the dungeon, as he will kill the prisoner himself ("Jetzt, Alter, jetzt hat es Eile!"). Leonore, alone after overhearing this, curses the tyrant ("Abscheulicher! wo eilst du hin?") and prays for a chance to save her husband. Recovering her "manly" poise, she asks Rocco to let the prisoners enjoy a moment of fresh air. Blinded by the light of day, the wronged captives relish their glimpse of freedom ("Oh welche Lust!"), while Leonore searches among them in vain for her husband. ...