Beethoven: Fidelio (highlights)

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), Orchester di Roma della RAI (Orchestra), Birgit Nilsson (Performer), Franz Crass (Performer), Gerhard Unger (Performer), Helen Donath (Performer), Ludovic Spiess (Performer), Siegfried Vogel (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Birgit Nilsson, Franz Crass, Gerhard Unger, Helen Donath, Ludovic Spiess, et al.
• Orchestra: Orchester di Roma della RAI
• Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (June 6, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Gala
• ASIN: B00000FXLC
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #850,136 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #34 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Nilsson, Birgit

Track Listings

1. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 2 Aria - O were we two united

2. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 3 Quartet - A wondrous feeling fills me

3. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 4 Aria - If you haven't gold as well

4. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 7 Aria with chorus - Ha, the moment has come!

5. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 9 Recitative and aria - Monster! Where are you hastening?

6. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 10 Finale - Oh, what joy to breathe freely in the open air!

7. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: Well, how did it go?... Today! This very day!

8. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: Farewell, warm sunshine

9. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 11 Introduction and aria - O God! how dark it is!... In the spring

10. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 14 Quartet - He shall die! But first he shall know

11. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 15 Duet - Oh joy beyond expression

12. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72: no. 15 Duet - Oh joy beyond expression

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth a listen for Nilsson and Bernstein, May 28, 2007

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Beethoven: Fidelio (highlights) (Audio CD)

It seems curious that Birgit Nilsoon and Leonard Bernstein, at the very height of their respective fame, should make a radio boradxast of Fidelio form rome. After all, they could have headlined at the greatest opera houses in the world (but never did, so far as recording is concerned). Both are in great form, and the mono sound form 1970 is listenable, with the voices close to the microphone, as per usual in broadcasts. Bernsteindoesn't exceed his DG recording form Vienna, and Nilsson doesn't recapture the excitment she showed under Maazel on Decca. Even so, these are great artists and what they do is worth a listen.

Orchestra and chorus are decidedly second-rate, and the rest of the cast consists of the unknown Sojess doing a respectable job as Florestan and everyone else chewing up the scenery. There's a slapdahs feeling about this performance, and Fidelio is one opera that one should hear in toto, not in chunks. Those drawbacks keep me from giving this interesting CD a higher rating.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hollow sound distracts from performance, March 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Beethoven: Fidelio (highlights) (Audio CD)

While I'm no judge of Fidelio recordings, I found that the quality of this recording distracted from whatever enjoyment I would have found from listening. Recorded live, this recording has a hollow, distant sound the almost hides the orchestra and dulls the soloists.

The only real value of this disk is due to its being (I think) the only Fidelio highlights disk available on Amazon (I have seen others in stores, including one from Karajan). Unless you must buy a Fidelio highlights disk here, I would not recommend buying this one.