Fidelio

By Ludwig von Beethoven
La Scala (Milan) La Scala Orchestra and Chorus
Riccardo Muti, conductor
Performers listed below

Even if Beethoven’s FIDELIO had turned out to be a forgettable, run-of-the mill opera -- that is, even if it wasn't any good -- it would still get plenty of attention. After all, it was the only opera ever written by one of history's greatest composers. Yet FIDELIO doesn't sound like the work of an inexperienced opera composer, and that's one of the most remarkable things about it.

Then again, maybe that’s really not so remarkable. While Beethoven didn't have much experience with opera when he began FIDELIO, he certainly had more than his share by the time he finished it. The version of the opera we know now evolved over a period of ten years. During that time, Beethoven re-examined and extensively re-worked his original score, a cumbersome drama that opened and closed in a hurry. After a decade's attention and two complete revisions, Beethoven had created a lean, vividly theatrical score -- one that could easily be heard as the work of a composer who'd spent a lifetime in the opera house.

And this week, to kick off the 2000 season of NPR WORLD OF OPERA, with host Steve Curwood, we'll hear FIDELIO from one of the world's most famous opera houses, with a stellar cast including soprano Waltraud Meier in the title role.

Also, don't forget to tune in NPR's AT THE OPERA for more insights into Beethoven's unforgettable opera.



Performers:
Waltraud Meier (Leonore); Thomas Moser (Florestan); Franz-Josef Kapellmann (Don Pizarro); Kurt Rydl (Rocco); Laura Aikin (Marzelline); Endrik Wottrich (Jaquino)


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