With more than a dozen commercial
recordings of Beethoven's only opera already available, why buy
this new one? The reasons begin with Jonas Kaufmann.
The German tenor brings to the role of the unjustly
imprisoned Florestan the same qualities that have made him an
international superstar — a keen understanding of the text
joined to a powerful, exceptionally beautiful voice that is
capable of the subtlest dynamic shadings. His is a carefully
thought-out interpretation that still sounds fresh and
spontaneous. It's a thrilling performance, worthy of comparison
with such great Florestans of the recent past as Jon Vickers and
James King.
As his wife, Leonora, who has
disguised herself as a young man named Fidelio in order to
rescue him, Nina Stemme is also extremely impressive. The
Swedish dramatic soprano creates a thoroughly sympathetic
portrayal of a courageous wife and makes easy work of the role's
vocal hurdles, including a gleaming high C. In her extended
aria, "Abscheulicher!" she smoothly switches gears from
righteous anger to tenderness, and finally, to heroic
determination.
Among a strong supporting cast, baritone
Peter Mattei almost steals the show as the benevolent minister
Don Fernando. Though he appears only in the final scene, Mattei
imbues his few phrases with a melting beauty and nobility. Bass
Christof Fischesser is sympathetic as the jailer Rocco, baritone
Falk Struckmann snarls with appropriate menace as the evil Don
Pizzaro, and Rachel Harnisch is charming as Marzelline, her
lyric soprano contrasting nicely with Stemme's fuller sound.
This recording was made from live performances at the
Lucerne Festival in the summer of 2010. Claudio Abbado conducts
the forces of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Lucerne
Festival Orchestra in an energetic reading of the score that's
often brisk but never merely businesslike. The streamlined
recording omits much of the spoken dialogue often heard between
the musical numbers. In the great choral scenes for the
prisoners and populace (well sung by the Arnold Schoenberg
Choir), Abbado slows down the tempo just enough to allow us to
savor the grandeur of Beethoven's vision.
CHECK
OUT THIS TRACK: The beginning of Act 2 introduces Florestan with
an aria that begins, "Gott! Welch dunkel hier!" ("God, what
darkness here!") Many tenors attack the opening word, sung on
the note G natural, full-out like a stab of pain. But Kaufmann
begins it in a whisper so low your first impulse may be to check
your volume control. Then, in one sustained breath lasting 11
seconds, he gradually increases the volume until the word
becomes a fortissimo cry of anguish. It's a daring and stunning
effect.
