Ludwig Van Beethoven London Lyric Opera in Concert at Cadogan Hall
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Ludwig van Beethoven FidelioTuesday 17 February 7.30pm London Lyric Opera in concert at Cadogan Hall Biography 3 Fidelio Opera in two acts Music by Ludwig van Beethoven Text in German by Joseph von World premiere: Kärtnertortheater, Sonnleithner from the French Wien, 23 May 1814 of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly Surtitles translation by Kenneth “Léonore, ou l’amour conjugal Chalmers, by arrangement with fait historique en deux actes et the Royal Opera, Covent Garden en prose mêlée de chantes.” This performance is dedicated to the memory of Frau Edith Kraus (1932-2006) Sponsored by: 4 London Lyric Opera Patron/Sponsor’s message 5 A message from our Patron A message from our Sponsor by Isla Baring by Martin MacConnol Welcome to London Lyric Opera’s concert In June 2009, LLO will be back at It’s not often you come across an In these tough economic times, I am organisation that is both entrepreneurially prouder than ever of the relationship performance of Fidelio conducted by Cadogan Hall performing Johann Strauss’ driven and brimming with creativity. This between Wardour and LLO. Great our Guest Conductor, Madeleine Lovell, comic masterpiece Die fledermaus in is why, when London Lyric Opera asked music lightens the pressures of our supported by the Royal Philharmonic concert with some fun surprises in the Wardour to be its main sponsor, we leapt day-to-day lives. It boosts the spirit Orchestra, The Philharmonia Chorus and cast; this performance promises to be at the idea. We are a creative business and swells the soul. Even after the Queens’ College Chapel Choir in the an unforgettable evening. Later in the ourselves – albeit in the creation of curtain has come down, it lives within warm acoustic and beautiful surroundings year our principal conductor, Lionel corporate communications – and us. At a time when it’s all too easy to be of Cadogan Hall. This timeless story of Friend, returns to conduct von Weber’s LLO’s passion and verve spoke to us. distracted by the concerns of ‘the now’, love, liberty and betrayal is Beethoven’s Der Freischütz with the rarely performed LLO’s performances remind us of the only opera and remains a firm favourite Berlioz recitatives. Over the past year, we have been world beyond the material – a place of in the operatic canon. thrilled by our growing association with the spirit that has been, and always James Hancock and his team. Creatively, will be, key to a full experience of life. In 2008 LLO produced Passion of Puccini their performances have stimulated our LLO’s last concert Der fliegende Holländer at Leighton House, Cycles at Cadogan designers to produce what I know are at the Barbican was a great success Hall and Der fliegende Holländer at the some of Wardour’s best graphic designs. with Neil Fisher of The Times remarking, Barbican. It has been a year of remarkable They also have a fearsomely efficient “Concert opera in London has a new growth. Our developing relationships approach to the behind the scenes champion”. A major element in our with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra admin – something which always success to date has been the quality of and the Philharmonia Chorus enable us impresses me and the Wardour team. Martin MacConnol the artists working with us. Tonight you to approach the most challenging and Sponsor will hear no finer example than the great rewarding repertoire. Without our main CEO of Wardour Communications dramatic soprano, Elizabeth Connell who sponsor Wardour this would not be will be singing one of her most famous possible. Their commitment and drive roles, Leonore. have been an inspiration to us all at LLO. I hope you enjoy tonight’s performance and look forward to seeing you again at Die fledermaus here at Cadogan Hall in June. With all best wishes Isla Baring Patron in chief London Lyric Opera The Company 7 The Company BAKER & SPICE London Lyric Opera Royal Philharmonic Orchestra BAKER & SPICE HAMPERS Leader – Clio Gould SERIOUS HAMPERS FOR SERIOUS FOODIES Philharmonia Chorus Queens’ College Chapel Choir Conductor Madeleine Lovell Chorus Master Edward Caswell Leonore Elizabeth Connell Florestan Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts Rocco Richard Wiegold Marzelline Rachel Nicholls Jaquino Andrew Staples Don Pizarro James Hancock Don Fernando In support of the London Lyric Opera we have made up a special Paul Goodwin-Groen OPERA LOVER’S HAMPER First Prisoner For details please call 07738 217 632 or email [email protected] Nicky Spence www.bakerandspice.com Second Prisoner Aaron McAuley 8 London Lyric Opera Fidelio 9 Synopsis Fidelio courtesy of OPERA NEWS Madeleine Lovell Act I Act II Spain, eighteenth century. In a prison, In one of the lowest cells of the prison, Marzelline, daughter of the jailer, Rocco, Florestan dreams he sees Leonore arrive rejects the attentions of her father’s to free him. But his vision turns to despair, assistant, Jaquino, who hopes to marry and he sinks down exhausted. Rocco her. Her heart is set instead on the new and Leonore arrive and begin digging the errand boy, Fidelio. The latter, a grave. Florestan awakens, not recognising hardworking lad, arrives with provisions his wife, and Leonore almost loses her Throughout its reception history However, we cannot dismiss the argument and dispatches and is distressed by composure at the familiar sound of his Beethoven’s Fidelio has regularly provoked that Fidelio in its last version expresses the Marzelline’s interest in him, especially voice. Florestan moves the jailer to offer two opposing reactions. Most composer’s attempt at an ultimate, since it has the blessing of Rocco. Fidelio him a drink, and Leonore gives him a commentators have noted the all- encyclopaedic utterance, for this is an is in fact Leonore, a noblewoman of Seville bit of bread, urging him not to lose faith. encompassing musical and dramatic aesthetic tendency perceived throughout who has come to the jail disguised as a Rocco then blows on his whistle to signal range of the opera. For certain of them his oeuvre. And after all, about how many boy to find her husband, Florestan, a Pizarro that all is ready. The governor this constitutes a weakness and creates a other operas can one say that the political prisoner languishing somewhere advances with dagger drawn to strike, disparate, unfocused work; while for composer wrote three different overtures, in chains. When Rocco mentions a man but Leonore stops him with a pistol. others it shows the composer’s mastery before settling on yet a fourth? lying near death in the vaults below, At this moment a trumpet sounds from over every genre of music theatre and Leonore, suspecting it might be Florestan, the battlements: Don Fernando has represents a ground-breaking fusion of the The sheer range and variety of the opera begs Rocco to take her on his rounds. arrived. Rocco leads Pizarro out to meet symphonic and operatic genres. Some is quite astonishing. The major national He agrees, though the governor of the him as Leonore and Florestan rejoice in have even gone so far as to suggest that styles – German Singspiel, Italian opera prison, Don Pizarro, allows only Rocco each other’s arms. Beethoven, fearing he might not have seria and opera buffa, the French in the lower levels of the dungeon. another opportunity to write an opera (as, revolutionary rescue opera – are all As soldiers assemble in the courtyard, In the prison courtyard, Don Fernando indeed, it turned out), wanted to make represented. The use of both dialogue and Pizarro learns from the dispatches proclaims justice for all. He is amazed Fidelio his definitive contribution to the music, and of the German language are a brought to him that Don Fernando, when Rocco brings his friend Florestan genre. It is likely that the long drawn-out clear link to the Singspiel tradition, as is minister of state, is on his way to inspect before him and relates the details of nature of the compositional process the German folksong idiom of, for the fortress. At this news the governor Leonore’s heroism. Pizarro is arrested, contributed to the variety of Beethoven’s instance, Rocco’s Act 1 aria about the resolves to kill Florestan, his enemy, and Leonore herself removes Florestan’s musical language (after the initial work of necessity of money for a happy life. without delay and orders Rocco to dig chains. The other prisoners too are freed, 1804-5, Fidelio was revised in 1806 and a grave for the victim in the dungeon. and the crowd hails Leonore. again in 1814). His style had undergone Leonore, overhearing his plan, realises many changes during that decade, now Pizarro’s evil nature and the plight of his usually referred to as his ‘Middle Period’, victim. After praying for strength to save and the final appearance of Fidelio in 1814 her husband and keep up hope, she again anticipated the last phase of his career, The sheer range begs Rocco to let her accompany him to one marked by ever increasing innovation the condemned man’s cell - and also to and extremity. allow the other prisoners a few moments and variety of the of air in the courtyard. The gasping men relish their glimpse of freedom but are ordered back by Pizarro, who hurries opera is quite Rocco off to dig Florestan’s grave. With apprehension, Leonore follows him into the dungeon. astonishing 10 London Lyric Opera Fidelio 11 This is Rocco’s most down-to-earth Just as the voices enter one by one, The dynamism of Beethoven’s idiom and moment in the opera, and it is no surprise so the music gradually becomes clothed its rhythmic energy would be enough to to find him expressing himself with a in the many timbres and registers of the carry any listener through the drama.