There must be something special about the Neue Oper in Frankfurt. 'Fidelio' is the third opera I have seen there and it easily matched the other two for sheer musical brilliance and modern theatrical style.
If you think opera today is about fat singers in period costume melodramatically prancing around cardboard cut-out sets then think again.
The Neue Oper is clearly at the cutting edge. Again the audience was treated to an ultra modern stage design. The entire back and side walls were an invigorating full yellow. Clever use of lighting either took you inside the prison or to the exercise yard.
Basically the piece is about a woman, Leonore, who rescues her lover from prison by pretending to be a man called Fidelio. Surprisingly nobody dies. This is an uplifting moving opera about heroism and justice.
Swedish-American soprano, Erika Sunnegardh, is simply outstanding as Fidelio/Leonore. She sang like a nightingale and her athletic figure was ideally suited to the demanding dual role.
The other stand-out performance was that of bass singer James Cresswell who played the prison master Rocco. As demanded by the music, his voice was deep and commanding, but at the same time he somehow managed to convey a sense of irony about any situation.
It is a credit to the performance that the two characters with the biggest parts were also the most enjoyable to watch and hear.
If you think opera today is about fat singers in period costume melodramatically prancing around cardboard cut-out sets then think again.
The Neue Oper is clearly at the cutting edge. Again the audience was treated to an ultra modern stage design. The entire back and side walls were an invigorating full yellow. Clever use of lighting either took you inside the prison or to the exercise yard.
Basically the piece is about a woman, Leonore, who rescues her lover from prison by pretending to be a man called Fidelio. Surprisingly nobody dies. This is an uplifting moving opera about heroism and justice.
Swedish-American soprano, Erika Sunnegardh, is simply outstanding as Fidelio/Leonore. She sang like a nightingale and her athletic figure was ideally suited to the demanding dual role.
The other stand-out performance was that of bass singer James Cresswell who played the prison master Rocco. As demanded by the music, his voice was deep and commanding, but at the same time he somehow managed to convey a sense of irony about any situation.
It is a credit to the performance that the two characters with the biggest parts were also the most enjoyable to watch and hear.
Great one, really. I can highly recommed...
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