Fidelio

‘Fidelio’ is Leonore. Disguised as a man, she adopts a new name and embarks on a mission to free her lover Florestan from the depths of Pizzaro’s dark dungeons. His tyrannical violence, abuse of power and barbaric behaviour make him one of the most despicable characters in opera history. Indeed, Fidelio’s struggle is a fight to the death. But love brings hope against this backdrop of a corrupt world.

Inspired by a true story from the time of the French Revolution, Beethoven wrote a masterpiece whose characters rise above the banal. The symphonic, almost religious nature of his music adds depth to a story in which powerful emotions and big ideas meet.

Imagery replete with symbols

The stage direction is in the hands of the Ukrainian director Andriy Zholdak. His visual imagery, replete with symbols, is reminiscent of great film directors such as Andrei Tarkovsky and Ingmar Bergman. Using a distinctive style, Zholdak explores the deeper layers of the universal human drama of Fidelio.

Led by the renowned Colombian-Austrian conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will certainly present a gripping reading of Beethoven’s only opera. The dramatically and vocally versatile role of Leonore is performed by the radiant soprano Jacquelyn Wagner. In the role of her lover, the revolutionary Florestan, we hear the internationally acclaimed heldentenor Eric Cutler.