Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Fidelio (Great Recordings of the Century)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another round of applause for EMI for issuing this fabulous "Fidelio" in their "Great Recordings of the Century" series. There is no "Fidelio" that matches this --- anywhere! Otto Klemperer has left us a monumental performance which by the finale becomes close to a religious experience. "Fidelio" is a very difficult opera for the conductor to bring off: it begins like a "singspiel" and gradually builds, scene by scene, until it evolves into a full choral finale which can blow the listener away with its power and majesty. Klemperer beautifully blends each scene into the next with increasing power and balance. The sheer joy that is felt at the end is something easier experienced than described. Christa Ludig, although a mezzo soprano, had more than sufficient power at the top of her voice to sing the very taxing role of Leonore (her rendition of "Abscheulicher" will pin your ears back!), and her considerable dramatic instincts enabled her to create a truly heroic woman whose anguish and pain is immediately obvious. This is arguably Ludwig's greatest recorded performance. The plight of Florestan has never been made as vivid as by Jon Vickers in this recording. Vickers, one of the very few tenors who made a great reputation with this role, simply IS Florestan, and no other exponent of the role comes within miles of him (his "Euch werde Lohn" in the second act would melt the heart of the devil himself). Supporting artists are all wonderful, especially Ingeborg Hallstein as Marcelline, whose clear high voice contrasts well with Ludwig's dark lower tones. There are some outstanding recordings of "Fidelio" available ---- including a radio broadcast (in decent sound) from the 1950 Salzburg Festival starring the legendary Kirsten Flagstad as Leonore under the leadership of Wilhelm Furtwangler. As outstanding as that performance is (is it still available on EMI?), I think that this 1962 Christa Ludwig/Otto Klemperer version actually surpasses it. Truly, a great recording of the century!

"If I can get this cast, we cannot fail to make one of the supreme recordings in the whole history of the industry." This was Walter Legge's comment to his boss when preparing for this 1962 recording of Beethoven's only opera, "Fidelio." He was right: this is, by anyone's standards, one of the supreme recordings of the industry.

Otto Klemperer (1885-1973) could have been born to conduct Beethoven in general, and this opera in particular. Beethoven's "Fidelio" is probably the noblest opera ever written, and one of Klemperer's main strengths was nobility, added to a comprehensive structural understanding. His interpretation here is magnificent: never rushed, allowing all the fine strands of Beethoven's glorious music to be heard clearly and easily, and always with that wonderful nobility. He provides sensitive support to the singers while making the Philharmonia Orchestra, maybe the best orchestra in the world at that time, in a way the protagonist of the drama. This must be considered one of the benchmark examples of Beethoven conducting on record, and certainly one of Klemperer's best recordings.

We'll look at the cast in likely curtain-call order. Franz Crass is a commanding, noble Don Fernando who has a beautiful, ample voice. I think Hans Hotter, one of the noblest bass-baritones ever, would have been even better here, and with a huge, glorious voice Crass doesn't have. Crass, though, is probably steadier than Hotter would have been, and has a heftier lower register. Next is Gerhard Unger, who sings Jaquino intelligently yet ardently with a firm, boyish tenor, the perfect complement to the Marzelline of Ingeborg Hallstein. Hallstein has a clear, pure voice with a vibrato on the border of obtrusiveness, for all her intelligence. Gundula Janowitz would be preferable, and so would Fritz Wunderlich as Jaquino! And now we begin to move in among the giants of the cast. Walter Berry gives a thrillingly dramatic performance, firmly, resonantly sung. His Pizarro is not a towering figure of evil, but is a thoroughly unpleasant man who manages in his lust for power and reputation to do toweringly evil deeds. Next is Gottlob Frick as Rocco, in the finest voice I have ever heard him. He has the resonant ring that very few basses have, as well as a firm legato, sounding more benevolent than usual, as well, toning down his usual crocodile voice. He presents a very human portrait of this most human of characters, a mixture of and the link between good (Leonore and Florestan) and evil (Pizarro). Now, Jon Vickers as Florestan. He has competition in his role, but he can stand up to the finest of those competitors: as bitterly anguished as Patzak for Furtwängler, as finely sung as James King's performance for Böhm, but combining these qualities with his own unique phrasing and noble eloquence. Phrase after phrase provides a revelation: his anguished cry of "Gott!" is only the most obvious. Listen to him sing "Das Maß der Leiden steht bei dir" with eloquent plangency, "Willig duld' ich alle Schmerzen" with bitterness and suffering, "Und spür' ich nicht linde" with desperate hope ... In the spoken dialogue, he is just as moving, especially when he says, "Geruht? Wie fände ich ruhe?" emphazing the "ich" with such despair that it is no wonder Leonore cries out. The actual voice is at its finest here, with a dark, rich beauty it seldom had. After he is given his roar of applause, he steps off, Christa Ludwig as Leonore steps on, and our imaginary opera house explodes. This is one of the finest performances anyone has ever given, and the fact that she is a mezzo singing one of the most taxing of soprano roles makes her achievement even more astounding. Her voice is ideally suited to the role, despite her being a mezzo: it has a dark, creamy richness, which extends into a gleamingly radiant top. Take the "Abscheulicher" aria, perhaps the most taxing piece for soprano written before Wagner. She is, obviously, fabulously secure in the many low notes, but she sounds absolutely comfortable with the mostly high tessitura that would ruin the voice of any other mezzo. Her finely molded "Komm, Hoffnung" can compare with the best, and her enormous voice can also be agile, as in "Ich folg' dem inner'n Triebe." She negotiates her way flawlessly through the murderous runs and scales, and hits the cruelly exposed high B with an effortless glory that only the very finest sopranos can achieve. But it is in the spoken dialogue that she makes perhaps her longest lasting mark: her inquiry to Rocco about how long the prisoner has been held has a casual surface but an anguished core, as it should, and her many spoken outbursts in the prison scene are so emotional that they send chills down the listener's spine. Her singing here is also at its finest: she effortlessly sings the great line "Töt' erst sein Weib!" but I think the finest moment comes when the trumpet sounds announcing the arrival of the minister and her pianissimo "Ach! Du bist gerettet!" floats with angelic radiance over the three male voices. She sings "O namenlose Freude" joyfully, capping it with a firm high B that every other Leonore whoops. Some lovely soft singing in the final scene is crowned by her glorious "O Gott! O welch' ein Augenblick!" and her part in the final ecstatic ensemble is wonderfully clear, wrapping up one of the supreme performances on record.

The sound to this recording is astounding: full, clear, rich, as fine as any digital recording, and for this reissue, Klemperer's 1963 recording of the Leonore Overture No. 3 has been added as an appendix. The listener can now play it before the final scene, enjoy it separately or ignore it altogether. Now beautifully repackaged at mid price in EMI's fabulous "Great Recordings of the Century" series, this is a recording that no one can afford to be without, presenting to us all the many glories of Beethoven's opera. Bravissimo!

Most listeners and reviewers of this Fidelio concentrate on raving about the singers and the conductor. I have something to add. The orchestral contribution of the Philharmonia is magnificent. In the 1950's and 1960's Walter Legge's Philharmonia was the envy of the orchestral world. The orchestra's ensemble playing was superb. Contrary to a lot of people think, the Philharmonia was not a "recording orchestra" but a full-fledged proper orchestra in its own right, just like the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic. Interestingly enough, it was because the Philharmonia was trained as a recording orchestra that they were so good. Because microphones are very sensitive, in the course of recording operas and orchestral works for Walter Legge (who was incidentally also a hard task master), the Philharmonia players had to train themselves very hard in the fine art of ensemble playing and beautiful sound production. Consequently, when they played in the concert hall, the playing is absolutely superb by virtue of their training for the microphones!! So there are merits to the existence of the recording studio. of course, the other driving factor is that high priest of perfection, Walter Legge, who always wanted to produce the best in everything that he did. At one point in time, he spent 3 hours with Christa Ludwig just trying to perfect a phrase where she was supposed to sing about the sun. He wanted Christa Ludwig to sing with the "sun" in her voice. Such dedication and hard work is no doubt what makes this Fidelio so great. I advise you to listen not just to the peerless singing in this set but also the magnificent orchestral contribution of the Philharmonia players. Listen to the ensemble playing of the Philharmonia. The string players move clearly as one. Also, listen to the quality of the sound produced by the Philharmonia strings. While the Philharmonia does not have the richness and weight of string sound of the Berlin Philharmonic, the string sound they produce is dripping sweet and overflowing with honey. Richard Osborne reported that when Karajan asked the Philharmonia why their ensemble was so good, they replied, "We sleep together!". I am literally addicted to the orchestral playing of the Philharmonia. If you want to hear more superb orchestral playing, you should acquire Klemperer's Zauberflote (EMI, Great Recordings of the Century Series) and Klemperer's Don Giovanni (also EMI). Klemperer's mozart has been criticized as slow. While I agree that it is slower than other recordings, I say that his approach works in its own way. One of the greatness of Klemperer's Zauberflote and Don Giovanni is the contribution of the Philharmonia, often understated relative to the singers like this Fidelio. In Klemperer's mozart, the Philharmonia becomes a protagonist in their own right rather than just a background support for singers. Not just Klemperer's, but the Philharmonia's recordings with Giulini (Le Nozze di Figaro & Don Giovanni) and Bohm (Cosi Fan Tutte). I haven't heard much people noticing this fact so I thought that I should point it out,

This is really a vocal stunner. There is no weak link in the cast. Klemperer's direction is somewhat slower than other conductors but his tempi suits his singers like a glove. For instance, his tempi is ideal for Christa Ludwig, so much so that Christa Ludwig is able to give a ravishing performance of the role. Same goes for Jon Vickers - Klemperer's tempi is just ideal. This is really an opera set to lift you out of your blues. Fidelio is an opera about good people being oppressed by evil. It is about good oppressed people fighting for freedom against evil and triumphing over evil. When you listen to this opera set, the performance is so compelling that your spirit lifts!!!!!! You feel a sense of hope.

It is quite often the case that recordings fail to live up to expectations. Sometimes reviewers overpraise certain recordings. Not so with this one. My most heartfelt thanks to Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry, Jon Vickers, Gottlob Frick, Ingeborg Hallstein, Gerhard Unger, Franz Crass, Otto Klemperer and the rest of the cast, including the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus for putting in their heart and soul in this work. I hope that this public note of thanks will be a small token of appreciation to your efforts. You should be proud of this recording!! Highest praise!!!

I must say I don't remember the last time I was ever so emotionally blown away by a recording as I was by this one when I bought it. I thought I knew Fidelio inside out; I owned two recordings already and had heard others, had seen it performed live more than once, and, sure, there were many lovely bits in the opera but I never felt utterly compelled to listen to it endlessly or even often. Until I heard Klemperer's recording and felt like I'd never really heard Fidelio before. His beautiful, dignified pacing of the music creates a monumental, majestic sound of staggering intensity -- the story comes to life in layers and layers of sound; it's completely soul-blowing conducting from beginning to end. And the singers are equally phenomenal, matching Klemperer's dramatic purpose with soaring eloquence. Christa Ludwig in particular is at the height of her beauty of expression and tone... sad, sweet and strong, flying effortlessly over the high notes as if she were never a mezzo. She is simply perfect. What incredible luck to match her voice with that of Jon Vickers; he is vocally the right Florestan for her Leonore... his metallic tenor has the depth of darkness to complement her deeply mellow sound... and his total immersion into the role is wonderful. Frick and Berry are in complete command of their characters as well, without sacrificing any musicality... I have never heard any of these characters sung so gorgeously. If all this wasn't enough, the chorus is tremendously fine and deserves special note. The combined ensembles are incredible. I have listened to this recording for days on end (having owned it for many many months now), haunted by the prison scene and utterly moved by the whole experience. It is a deeply soulful, overpowering version of Fidelio; I believe no other recording can match it. What a memorable find!

When Kirsten Flagstad was in Norway, she used to sing Fidelio four times a week at one point in her career. Kirsten Flagstad loved Fidelio, her exact words were, "What a score that is! A perfect artistic holiday for singers, musicians and conductors. Nothing surpasses Fidelio in music, nothing! It is pure and human all the way through and it brings out the best in the sincere artist. It was quite a contrast going from a Fidelio performance at the opera to my Wagnerian studies at home. They are two completely different ways of singing." Kirsten Flagstad went on to become one of the great Leonores of the century and the greatest Isolde & Brunnhilde before Birgit Nilsson. Indeed, Fidelio is an opera with music of utmost sublime beauty. It is Beethoven's first and only opera. And you can hear Kirsten Flagstad in the famous 1951 Salzburg festival recording with Wilhelm Furtwangler.

This recording of Fidelio is simply divine. Not only is the music divine, the performance itself is divine!! From the start, the performance catches fire and the sense of inexorable advance is relentless. The urgency of the drama, the pathos are all caught in the flames of a white hot performance. Note: When I say white hot I don't mean to say that this Fidelio is wham and bang. On the contrary, the singers and orchestra are able to project a terrific sense of intensity and urgency without resorting to slam bang vocal and instrumental techniques. That is one of the reasons this Fidelio is one of the greatest opera recordings ever made. The beauty of tone is always there and the drama is always alive. Everyone seem to be completely inspired. It is as if the spirit of Beethoven caugt hold of everyone at that moment and inspired them to heights that have since never been surpassed.

Like Kirsten Flagstad, I feel that nothing surpasses Fidelio in music. I listen to lots of other operas, including all the most famous ones. They are all great and have their own drama to it. But this one, Fidelio, is the one that comforts me in my darkest hour and inspires me to greater heights of bliss in my time of joy. I've heard so many recordings of Fidelio including all the famous sets - practically everything you can find on Amazon. I can say without a shadow of doubt that no other Fidelio set surpasses this set. Please tell me if there is. I would have to buy that set. Don't bother if you can find it on Amazon because I've already heard all those.

This is one of those extremely rare opera recordings that is just too good to be true. It is an all-encompassing experience to listen to this Fidelio. The singers sing with so much intensity, the performance is just incredible. I know I maybe repeating what other reviewers have already said. But I don't think that too much praise is too much when someone really deserves it. That person is Christa Ludwig. Listening to this Fidelio, I must say that I like everything that she does. the beauty of her voice, the intensity of her singing is spell-binding. From her first to the last note, I was mesmerized by her beauty of tone, musicianship, declamatory skills and characterization. Her voice is homogeneous through the entire range. No screeching and shrieking at the top B's like so many sopranos do. Small wonder that hers is a reference Leonore. Everyone else comes together to make this one of the greatest recordings, if not the greatest, of an opera ever made in the studio. This is a recording that all opera lovers must have.

The Fidelio by Haitink & Jessye Norman is another outstanding Fidelio set. In that set, Jessye Norman's Fidelio is fantastic too. Jessye Norman's voice is rich and thrilling to listen to. Only thing is that her characterization is less detailed. She sings in a more general manner. Nevertheless, that set is a wonderful set - in modern digital sound - probably the best two Fidelios in DDD.

Also, watch out for a new Fidelio set coming out - the Met production with Ben Heppner & Karita Matilda. Now that soon to be out set - it will come out in fall - will be outstanding because I say the performance, and that was a bearthtaking performance. I would even venture to say that it will probably be even better than the set with Jessye Norman.

Here's a comparison of the famous sets.
1. Klemperer (EMI)
2. Fricsay (DG, Rysanek, Haefliger, Frick, Seefried, Fischer-Dieskau)
3. Furtwangler (1950 Live Salzburg, Flagstad, Patzak)
4. Bernstein (Gala,1970 Live Rome,Birgit Nilsson,Ludovic Spiess)
5. Haitink (Philips, Jessye Norman, Reiner Goldberg)
6. Bernstein (DG, Janowitz, Rene Kollo)
7. Solti (Decca, Behrens, Hofmann)
8. Maazel (Decca, Birgit Nilsson,James McCracken)

Fricsay: Leonie Rysanek (Leonore), Ernst Haefliger (Florestan), Gottlab Frick (Rocco), Irmgard Seefried (Marzelline), Dietich Fischer-Dieskau (Pizzaro). This 1957 DG recording (DG's first Stereo recording) tend to be underrated in the US. In reality it has a fabulous cast. Rysanek is one of those great Leonores like Christa Ludwig. Rysanek has a fabulous ringing top register that outshines all. Haefliger is a great Florestan. Fischer-Dieskau is exceptional as Pizzaro. He is able to convincingly convey the man's anger and hatred towards Florestan. Irmgard Seefried was in those days Schwarzkopf's "media" rival (like Pavarotti vs. Domingo). Gottlob Frick is always reliable, always outstanding. Fricsay's conducting is brisk and urgent - wonderful. Leonie Rysanek alone is worth this set. It's curious that Maazel's recording with Decca is more readily available than this DG version.

Furtwangler: Kirsten Flagstad(Leonore), Julius Patzak(Florestan), Josef Breindl(Rocco), Paul Schoffler(Pizzaro), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Marzelline)A superb 1950 live Salzburg Festival recording. Flagstad's Leonore is a grand impassioned Leonore. Patzak is simply incredible. Schwarzkopf is simply the best Marzelline I've ever heard despite the fact that this is a MONO recording.

Bernstein: Birgit Nilsson(Leonore), Ludovic Spiess(Florestan), Bernstein's 1970 live recording in Rome outshines his 1978 studio recording for Deutsche Grammophon. Birgit Nilsson here is far superior to Janowitz for Bernstein. Also, Nilsson here exudes greater warmth than her previous recording with Maazel on Decca. Sound quality is not fantastic but acceptable.

Philips: Haitink, Jessye Norman(Leonore), Reiner Goldberg (Florestan), Kurt Moll (Rocco), Ekkehard Wiashiha (Pizzaro) Wonderfully paced and exciting. A grandly sung Leonore. Certainly among the best Leonores committed on disc - but not as intense as Nilsson or Flagstad above. The Florestan is good but lags behind Vickers, Patzak and McCracken. Kurt Moll is fabulous as Rocco. Conducting is exciting. Faster than Klemperer but in the mold of Klemperer. Direct reading of score.

Bernstein - Janowitz (Leonore), Rene Kollo (Florestan), Jungwirth (Rocco), Hans Sotin (Pizzaro). Janowitz is a lyric soprano. She sings a light Leonore. I think that although Janowitz sings beautifully and accurately, she lacks power. This is a dramatic soprano role. Janowitz is a lyric soprano and lacks power at nodal points. She sings beautifully though.

Solti - Behrens (Leonore), Hofmann (Flarestan), Rocco (Hans Sotin), Theo Adam (Pizzaro). Electrifying performance from Solti. Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Chorus are simply stunning. Behrens is a wonderful Leonore. The radiance of her top notes are unmatched. She sings wonderfully and with conviction. But her reading cannot match Ludwig's, Nilsson's, Flagstad's or indeed Norman's. Hofmann is excellent as Florestan but he's a bit backwards in the balance. Either that or his voice is too small.

Maazel - Birgit Nilsson (Leonore), James McCracken (Florestan), Rocco (Kurt Bohme), Pizzaro (Tom Krause). Birgit Nilsson's legendary top notes are fabulous. James McCracken is fabulous as Florestan but not as good as Patzak or Vickers. There is audible tape hiss.

One thing for sure - the Klemperer set reigns supreme. It is a class on its own bar none. It is FIDELIO nonpareil. Why? Foremost is Christa Ludwig's Leonore. It simply is superb beyond anything you could hear on disc today. Ludwig IS LEONORE. Her reading, singing, her dialogue is totally within the predicaments of her character. In detail of characterization, she outshines everyone else. And her top notes are really firm. She holds them the longest among all the sets. Simply stunning. Rysanek, Nilssonm Flagdstad and Jessye Norman are the other great Leonores on record. Second is Jon Vickers. For many, Vickers IS FLORESTAN. His portrayal is that of a man at his wits ends. Beautifully sung - uniquely affecting performance. Simply put, his searing Florestan has no peer among the stereo sets. Walter Berry's Pizzaro and Gottlob Frick's Rocco are nothing short of superb.

My recommendation is the Klemperer as a first set. If you want a second set, go for Fricsay or Haitink.

Otto Klemperer's recording of Beethoven's only opera is justifiably legendary. "Fidelio" was Klemperer's operatic specialty, and his identification with both the opera's music and message were profound. Klemperer's noble and moving musicality guide us faultlessly through one of opera's most troublesome scores. This is a genuinely moving experience.

Klemperer was one of the 20th century's most revered operatic conductors, and his years of experience and experimentation (including several years as the music director of Berlin's Kroll Theatre, which was a haven for daring artistic innovation under Klemperer) are what make this such an extraordinary recording. Klemperer was 77 when this was recorded, and with an absolutely unassailable ensemble singing the parts, he was able to produce a "Fidelio" that was more or less perfect.

Each singer is excellent, but for me, the performance of the great Jon Vickers stands out. From his first moments, crying out "Gott! Welch' Dunkel Hier," Vickers is gripping. What an amazing Florestan.

Don't pass up this opportunity to hear "Fidelio" in an incomparable recording, at an excellent price.

Newcomers to Fidelio are often overwhelmed by Jon Vicker's and Christa Ludwig's performances in this Fidelio. The next logical question to ask is, what next? Are there any other legendary performances by these superb artistes? The answer is yes!!

For Christa Ludwig, you should look for her 1964 RCA recital of Brunnhilde's Immolation Scene, Ariadne Auf Naxos, the Dyer's Wife in Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Rosina in the Barber of Servile and Elektra in Strauss' Elektra!! That superb recital disc is a treasured classic of the Gramophone just like Sutherland's "The Art of Prima Donna". You can also hear Christa Ludwig's fabulous and famous Venus in Solti's Tannhauser (Decca). Catch her searingly dramatic and yet gorgeously sung Fricka and Waltraute in Solti's Ring (Decca). Not to forget her incredible Dorabella in Bohm's Cosi Fann Tutte (1962 with EMI). An absolute MUST is the 'live' recording of Karajan's 1964 Vienna State Opera Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Deutsche Grammophon) where Christa Ludwig's heart-stopping performance will leave you without a shadow of doubt of her supremacy in the role of the Dyer's wife. Don't forget the biting malevolence of Christa Ludwig's Ortrud in Kempe's Lohengrin (EMI Great Recording of the Century). Her unforgettable Marschallin in the 'live' recording of Bohm's 1969 Salzburg Der Rosenkavalier (Deutsche Grammophon). Her characterful Octavian in Karajan's stereo 1956 Der Rosenkavalier (EMI Great Recording of Century). Also, sample her interesting and securely sung Kundry in Solti's Parsifal (Decca). So many? Yes!! She is legendary. If you press me, I will advise to start with her absolutely superb 1964 RCA recital disc and her Dyer's Wife in Karajan's 1964 Die Frau Ohne Schatten at the vienna State Opera.

How about Jon Vickers? Sadly, he has fewer recordings. Go for his incredibly heroic Radames in Solti's Aida (Decca). His intense portrayal of Otello in Serafin's Otello (RCA Living Stere) is considered one of the best ever on record. His intensely sexual Herod in Kempe's "live" 1974 Salome (Golden Melodram) has no peer on record. His Aeneas is Colin Davi's Les Troyens (Philips) is the best on record. His Tristan with Karajan (EMI) is the one Tristan that can be an equal partner with Birgit Nilsson. His Peter Grimes (Philips) with Colin Davis is legendary as is his Siegmund (Decca, Leinsdorf). For a start, go for his Radames with Solti, his Herod with Kempe and his Tristan with Karajan.