Chicago.(Fidelio)(Opera Review)

Now almost exactly two hundred years old, Beethoven's Fidelio still has the power to move us with its universal theme of the triumph of love and freedom over oppression. Jurgen Flimm's updated production, with designs by Robert Israel and costumes by Florence Von Gerkan, engendered some critical controversy upon its premiere at the Met in 2000, but much of the New York audience received it rapturously. Lyric Opera's splendid remounting (seen January 18) gave Chicago operagoers the opportunity to experience firsthand what all the shouting was about.

Director Flimm was forced to withdraw from the Lyric Fidelio at the eleventh hour, leaving proceedings to Gina Lapinski, who had assisted with the original Met staging. A few details, notably the final lynching of Pizarro, which was not universally applauded in New York, have been toned down. Pacing of the dialogue in Act I wanted tightening; dramatic tension was much crisper in Act II, though this could also be validly observed of the structural arc of the work itself. The production's modern ambience, with its khaki uniforms and steamy prison cells, may conjure up images of cartels and cocaine smugglers for some; to my eyes, it illuminated Beethoven's timeless optimism quite respectfully, reimagining the work in an insightful, thoughtful way.

Several artists from the Met premiere recreated their roles at Lyric. Karita Mattila's Leonore is one of the finest soprano assumptions of recent times, one by which future interpretations may well be measured. The performance was beautifully ...