Fidelio

Beethoven's opera Fidelio always reminds me of Bob Dylan's protest song Blowin' in the Wind: its sentiments are so anodyne that anyone can agree with them. Beethoven, and his librettist Sonnleithner may have thought that they were making a powerful statement about political oppression but the result is something that George W Bush and Tony Blair could quite happily sit, or sleep, through without any embarrassment. In fact, the opera is not even about political oppression, it seems to be about a feud between two men. Don Pizarro has had Florestan thrown into a dungeon and is about to kill him because, he says, that is exactly what Florestan wanted to do to him. The opera is firmly on the side of established authority because, implausibly, it is the arrival of the government minister that precipitates the release of Florestan. Stripped of its Blowin' in the Wind liberalism, all that remains of the opera is a simple story of a wife, Leonora who dresses up as a prison guard, Fidelio, in order to secure the release of her husband.

The work's political naivety could also be its most useful attribute. It could be set in Franco's Spain or in Nazi Germany, particularly with the jailer, Rocco's, protestation that he is only following orders. It could equally be set in Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib prison, let us hope that even now someone like Peter Sellars is preparing such a version. This version from Covent Garden in 1990 is stodgily traditional, set in 18th century Spain. Beethoven's hymn-like score comes over well with the usual high points: the first act quartet, the soldiers' impossible march, the prisoners' release and the final chorus. Gabriela Benackova makes a rather shrill Fidelio, Josef Protschka as Florestan just does not look like someone who has been confined to a dungeon on starvation rations, Robert Lloyd is convincing as Rocco the jailer. Best of all is Monte Pederson who, as Don Pizarro, embodies evilness.

I always feel sorry for the character of Marzellina in this opera. She is Rocco's daughter and, in Act I, she is encouraged to believe that she is going to marry Fidelio. At the end of the opera she is given only one moment of shock and horror when she discovers that her lover is a woman before she has to pull herself together and join in giving thanks to God, along with the rest of the cast.

This is not quite my favourite production of Beethoven's great opera. I do prefer the 1978, 2002 and especially 1970 productions, but this 1990 one is very solid and a production worth having. The costumes and setting are very convincing, and Beethoven's wonderful music still has its power thanks to the orchestral playing and the firm conducting of Chistoph Von Dohnyani. The drama is very involving on the whole with a poignant O Welche Lust and a sublime in every way Mir Ist So Wunderbar. I have only one disappointment, which was the cut of the Nichts, Nichts, Mein Florestan, an amazing exchange that could have had a lot of emotional impact if included.

Camera work is focused, the picture quality is generally clear, the sound quality just adds to the power of the music and how it was performed and the lighting is austere without being too dark. I didn't think much of the packaging design of the DVD though, not particularly that interesting or well designed and may confuse those unfamiliar with the opera first hand. The singing is great. Gabriella Benackova's voice has so much warmth that soars above the orchestra with ease. She's a good actress too, with a powerful Abscheulicher and a poised O Nameleuse Freude. Marie McLaughlin and Neill Archer are also excellent, with McLaughlin being perhaps the cutest Marzelline I've seen.

But the best support turns came from Robert Lloyd's superb Rocco, although I have been familiar with Lloyd for years not in a while have I heard so much pleasure than his delightful Hat Man Nicht Auch Gold Beineiben, and also to Monte Pederson who while I would have preferred a more powerful and (slightly) less pinched voice like Hans Sotin's lets Don Pizarro's evilness just drip out of him. Hans Tchammer is a firm and sympathetic Fernando, if lacking the resonance of a Martti Talvela for example. I agree that Josef Protschka is too burly and healthy to be a prisoner all broken and verging on starvation, but his In Des Lebens is moving and doesn't sound too strained at the top and he's an acceptable if not brilliant actor.

All in all, very solid and definitely worth having. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox