Can we talk? I cannot report on this production objectively, and my wife takes exception to my central opinion. Fidelio is a work with a rich history that stirs the soul and the senses. I know too much about this opera and not enough. One of the pleasures of attending WNO productions is seeing what their great artistic director Francesca Zambello will have envisioned, typically an original spin, often a more socially conscious updating. Four composers took on telling the story of Leonore and Florestan. I have seen the first, Leonore, ou L’Amour du conjugal (1798), by composer Pierre Gaveaux and librettist Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, performed by Opera Lafayette in 2017, and the last, Fidelio (1814) by Beethoven at the Met in 2017, and one in between, Leonore (1805), an earlier version of Beethoven’s opera (there are three in all), performed by Washington Concert Opera also in 2017. It’s not that I didn’t like this production. I enjoyed this WNO performance, especially the singing and Beethoven’s music, and the new production was interesting. So, thumbs up on going. But my bottom line on this production is this: If you are going to modify a great Beethoven work, then swing for the fences. Ms. Zambello wanted to present a “spartan visual version” that allowed the opera’s heroes to shine but chose to add some context to the beginning, meant to be helpful. I think she left her new opening hanging at odds with the spartan approach.
All are grateful to Lenore/Fidelio (Sinéad Campbell Wallace) for her marital fidelity and courage in the face of corrupt authority. Photo by Corey Weaver; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
Brouilly’s libretto served as the basis for Fidelio, and Beethoven’s chosen librettist for this final version was Joseph Von Sonnleithner. It tells the story of Leonore, who dresses as a man to get work inside a prison where her husband Florestan has been unjustly imprisoned by a corrupt official named Pizarro who wants Florestan dead. She ingratiates herself to the warden Rocco to visit the lower levels of the prison with him. Rocco’s daughter Marzelline has fallen in love with Fidelio whom she believes to be a man, and she shoves her suitor Jaquino away. (Warning: spoilers ahead.) Fidelio/Leonore saves her husband’s life, just as the Prime Minister, an emissary of God and a new administration, arrives to right injustices and save all, except Pizarro who is escorted off to prison. The characters are more archetypes than flesh and blood characters and we are given a type of deux machina ending, but it makes for a compelling story and a powerful statement about the evils of authoritarian rule and political oppression. Everyone praises the triumph of love over authority. One suspects that its political statement was the compelling reason for its selection for production by Washington National Opera at this time. For Beethoven, the ending reflected his belief in the possibility of a just world order respecting the brotherhood of mankind.
photo 1: Prisoner Florestan (Jamez McCorkle) in his cell. photo 2: Rocco (David Leigh), center, approves the marraige of Fidelio (Sinéad Campbell Wallace) to his daughter Marzelline (Tiffany Choe). Photos by Corey Weaver; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
A question that has lingered in my mind since first encountering Fidelio is why Beethoven, one of the greatest composers, a highly prolific composer, write one but only one opera, a successful work that has endured in its popularity. (My question is tinged with my personal disappointment.) He was familiar with opera. He received voice composition instruction by Salieri early in his development. Starting when he was eighteen, he spent four years playing viola for a Bonn opera company. His one opera he wrote two revisions for after its unsuccessful premiere in 1804, named Leonore. A more successful, revised Leonore was performed in 1805, and the famous version renamed Fidelio premiered in 1814. He penned four overtures for these three versions, a bit of a perfectionist that one. This opera was a statement of Enlightenment ideals held by Beethoven and many in Europe after the French Revolution and while the defeat of Napoleon was in progress. Themes of hope for universal liberty, equality, and fraternity are the basis for the opera. The story also offers themes of goodness of marital fidelity and the emergence of powerful women, a theme close to Ms. Zambello’s heart. Though he was unlucky in love and never married, Beethoven was in love on occasion and held an idealistic view of marriage. But, back to why only one opera. Living an additional 13 years after Fidelio was first performed, Beethoven toyed with ideas for a few more operas but brought none to fruition. Maybe his approach to opera required too much of him, or maybe the reason was his loss of hearing or that he loved composing music more, but maybe Leonore was his soul mate and maybe no other story was able to compel him to leave her for another.
photo 1: Pizzaro (Derek Walton) in the prison courtyard. photo 2: Marzelline (Tiffany Choe) rejects Jaquino (Sahel Salam). Photos by Corey Weaver; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
Director Zambello chose to add, while the opening overture played, a montage of images projected onto a scrim displaying the family and community life of Leonore and Florestan with their children, followed by a scene without singing shown behind the scrim of an authoritarian crackdown and arrest of Florestan, creatively arranged by Projection Designer S. Katy Tucker and co-Projection Designer Kylee Loera. These were largely the limit of the use of special effects in this spartan production. The evil portrayed in Fidelio occurs worldwide; having recently visited Chile and Argentina, I thought this gave this German opera based on a French revolution a Pinochet feel, a bit distracting from the opera. The action takes place in a drab gray prison office, a courtyard, and a dungeon with drab grey prison attire for costumes, black for police uniforms, effectively contributing to the drama and storytelling; kudos to Set Designer Erhard Rom, Costume Designer Anita Yavich, and Lighting Designer Jane Cox.
The spartan approach for Fidelio is entirely appropriate. While the added introduction provides context for the storyline, adding warmth to the marital relationship and background for the imprisonment, for me it tells the story rather than requiring the audience to get involved in the story, confronting questions about what is going on. While I personally would have preferred the production start without the new opening, by the end of the first act of the two-act drama, I had the thought that given how the opera was begun, there was an opportunity for Director Zambello to unify the production using more images and high tech features. One of the past criticisms of the work is that in the Fidelio version the characters are less human and more one dimensional. If we are being given a new preamble to the opera believing it would be helpful for us to know this, then why not unify the approach throughout, adding human depth to the characters and scenes with additional images and special effects. For the record, my wife thought the intro was helpful; leave it alone.
Leonore (Sinéad Campbell Wallace) reveals her true identify as she saves her husband Florestan (Jamez McCorkle) from Pizarro (Derek Walton) as a stunned Rocco (David Leigh) observes. Photo by Corey Weaver; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
We agreed on what an excellent job the singers did and that the music was pleasurable and at times thrilling. The Washington National Opera was led by WNO Music Director Designate Robert Spano who will become official in that role in 2025. The music was played excellently, though I thought the sound seemed a bit thin. For me, the new opening totally distracted my attention away from the Beethoven’s overture. Steven Gathman led WNO Chorus who played prisoners in the courtyard and sounded great in most of the opera. Oddly, the song sung by the prisoners treasuring freedom, which is a highlight of the opera, was less stirring than I expected. The Chorus was terrific in the ending scene. I find the music in Fidelio to be great, but if you want to hear extra great, check out Leonore.
The Prime Minister (Denyce Graves) arrives to right the injustices of the past. Photo by Corey Weaver; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
There are seven soloists in Fidelio. Irish soprano Sinéad Campbell Wallace as Leonore effectively portrayed a young man and was vocally excellent. For me, the most emotionally effective scene was Florestan’s aria that opens act two. Tenor Jamez McCorkle’s beautiful portrayal of a tortured soul was deeply affecting. David Leigh as Rocco displayed one of the more lyrically beautiful bass voices I have heard, giving us a soft edged warden displaying love for his daughter, respect for his staff, and a limit to his corruptibility. Bass-baritone Derek Welton as Pizarro sang well but never seemed quite as menacing as his role requires. A highlight of the evening was the singing of the charming soprano Tiffany Choe as Marzelline; she is currently a WNO Cafritz Young Artist. Florestan was lucky Leonore didn’t go that way. Tenor Salem Salam was effective as usual as the rejected boyfriend Jaquino. As a promising Cafritz Young Artist, Mr. Salam has appeared in several WNO operas. Always welcomed and loved on Washington area stages, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves was stunningly adorned as the Prime Minister, an emissary from God and country.
After reading my report, I’m thinking maybe I liked it even better than I thought. I just let myself be distracted by and resistant to the new opening. Nah, I’ll stick with if you are going to mess with Beethoven, finish the job.
Fan Experience: WNO scheduled performances of Fidelio on October 25, 27, 29, 31, Nov 2, 4. The opera is sung in German with subtitles in English projected overhead. The performance lasts about two and half hours with one twenty-minute intermission. A pre-opera talk is available one hour before curtain time for ticket holders. Tickets remain available and can be accessed at this link. The digital program book for Fidelio can be accessed at this link.
During the intermission, the articles of the United Nations’ 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights were shown on the stage scrim. I would like to add that if you visit Chile, I recommend the Museum Memory and Human Rights in Santiago.
Parking in the Kennedy Center is typically plentiful at around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members when reserved ahead of the day. The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free red Kennedy Center buses, from there to the Kennedy Center running every 15 minutes, are an excellent option. There is an advantage in getting there a bit early. KC frequently has multiple performances on its different stages overlapping that can create traffic jams.
There are snack stands in the main lobby, and on the Terrace level, the KC Café offers food cafeteria style at moderate prices; fine dining is available on the Terrace level in the Roof Terrace Restaurant; a discount is available to KC members. Food and drinks except water are not allowed inside the opera house, but you can purchase reusable capped containers with your drinks that you can take inside. Take the container back with you on your next KC visit to get a discount on your drink.