I went into this with very low expectations because of the reports coming from previous performances: horns rubbish - allegedly drunk, Pappano a charlatan, Mattila over-parted, action all taking place on the side of the stage. Plus I had a physically painful walk all the way from work, which was not part of my agenda, and I was already not in 100% physical condition. Oh, and I was in a cheap seat in the Lower Slips, which has many advantages, but leaning over the hand rail in discomfort isn't one of them.
The overture, so familiar began. It was a mess. The horns were a mess. The strings sounded just wrong. I think it was a tone thing. I wanted them to be period strings - is the sign of a period instrument fascist wanting Beethoven on old strings? But it's almost impossible to ruin Beethoven (well, I have a CD of this very opera, and despite some transcendent singing from some gorgeous singers, it is so much much less than the sum of its parts as to be as close to a dogs' dinner as possible. So I kind of knew that however bad the lovely Tony was, he could never reach the nadir that is Daniel Barenboim).
Two and three quarter hours later I came out of a pretty special experience that I think will be memorable. And why that is, I can't really explain.
To be honest, the orchestra never really fully got it together. They weren't too bad when accompanying the singers but in the purely instrumental bits they seemed out of time and sometimes a bit vague about pitch. Especially the brass, especially especially the horns.
The production was, for the most part, adequate if ultimately rather workaday. I found myself being far too critical of the sets, which were illogical and counter to my view. It was a production imported from the USA and I can't quite understand why. The prison cells were open cages, which presented dramaturgical problems because they faced into the courtyard and were fitted with electric lightbulbs (important for sleep deprivation, not so effective when it comes to the glorious hymn praising the sunlight). Also illogical because they were of a three-storey construction with no means to access or exit the upper two storeys. Then, when Rocco and "Fidelio" were going off to Florestan's cell, I did wonder why Rocco was carrying a light-sabre which even I know is straight out of Star Wars. Finally, the staging of the finale struck a mischord. All it lacked was ticker tape and a military band playing "When Jonny comes a marching home". Many of the crowd were disco dancing and I swore I saw some break into the Texas two step. And I was confused as to why there seemed to be an empty swimming pool outside the prison.
The personenregie was reasonably good and I think was helped by having a critical mass of impressive stage people. It took me a while to recognise Karita Mattila, who looked very fetching as a man, and was very convincing as Leonore-disguised-as-Fidelio. I didn't recognise Eric Halfvarson for all of the first half (and I've met him!). He gave a credible impersonation of a small minded lackey. Terje Stensvold was a towering tyrant, blessed with a passing resemblance to someone I used to know professionally who was/is also a tyrant. Endrik Wottrich was convincing in his suffering as Florestan although he didn't quite reach out far enough beyond the footlights to grab me. And Karita really inhabited the role.
The singing was at least as good as that one gets from the currently superior house down the road ;-). I don't think any of them excelled. When Karita was good she was very good, but I understand - although ultimately disagree with - the analysis of overparted: there was a lot of strain and an inconsistency in volume. Halfvarson gave a good solid if generic vocal performance, and Stensvold matched his dominating stage presence with a booming and almost attractive voice. Endrik Wottrich is a new name entirely to me and I really don't know what to make of his voice. I now understand the term counter heldentenor - it was as if he was singing the entire role in head voice but without the squawk of the seagullist. I veered between loving and hating his voice; regardless, it has a compelling ring to it.
So far I haven't mentioned Marzelline and Jaquino (Ailish Tynan and Robert Murray). They were fine in their relatively small roles, but, if the truth be told this opera-comique is a distraction from the main thrust of the main opera, and had the woman next to me confused into thinking the whole thing was a comedy (you pitifully sad creature). Hon mensh. must go to Haoyin Xue and Krzysztof Szumanski, both of them Jette Parker Young Artists, as First and Second Prisoners. Haoyin Xue seems to have a sweet gorgeous voice, so a slight crack was a shame.
I first became familiar with Fidelio at the same time that I was learning about tyrannical dictatorships in Latin America, particularly in Pinochet's Chile, so in my mind, regardless of accuracy (historical and dramaturgical), it is set in Pinochet's Chile. (It sets my teeth on edge when people start using the word 'relevant' about opera, but in this particular case it is synergetic with current events).
It is impossible not to consider Leonore (Fidelio) as a real feminist hero. Unless one rejects the notion of sacrificing so much for one's husband as being too close to 'Surrendered Wife'. I don't. Not long after the time when Mozart's women were getting their fiancées confused with cunningly disguised Albanian soldiers, and Rossini's girls were fluttering their eyelashes at Counts on White Chargers, Beethoven's sister was doing it for herself, getting her hands dirty, yes for the husband she truly loved but also for Freiheit. Nothing encapsulates the Enlightenment ideal better than the Prisoners Chorus which when performed well is Beethoven at his peak. The male chorus is one of the greatest strengths of the Royal Opera House, and they excelled themselves. One seemed to pick me out as the random anonymous audience member on which to focus and I was moved by the look of desperation, a desperation echoed by the entire chorus accompanied by sublime music. It really is one of those amazing goose-pimple moments.
I am going again on Thursday, this time to the Lower Slips Right, and in my alphabetical-survey-of-operas-on-record, Fidelio will follow after Fanciulla, Faust and Fedora, so perhaps I will explore the 'Freiheit', the Enlightenment, and the gorgeousness of Beethoven in greater depth at greater length then.
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