Fidelio / Margiono, Seiffert, Leiferkus, Skovhus, Polgár, Bonney, van der Walt [Import]

Ludwig van Beethoven (Artist), Europe Chamber Orchestra (Artist), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Artist), Charlotte Margiono (Artist), Peter Seiffert (Artist), Sergei Leiferkus (Artist), Bo Skovhus (Artist), Barbara Bonney (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 1995)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Warner Music France
• ASIN: B000000SNI
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,791 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #43 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Bonney, Barbara

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Ov - CO of Europe/Nikolaus Harnoncourt

2. Erster Aufzug: No.1 Duet: Jetzt, Schatzchen, jetzt sind wir allein - Deon van der Walt/Barbara Bonney

3. Erster Aufzug: No.2 Aria: O war' ich schon mit dir vereint - Barbara Bonney

4. Erster Aufzug: No.3 Qt: Mir ist so wunderbar - Barbara Bonney/Charlotte Margiono/Laszlo Polgar/Deon van der Walt

5. Erster Aufzug: No.4 Arie: Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben - Laszlo Polgar

6. Erster Aufzug: No.5.Terzett: Gut, sohnchen, gut - Laszlo Polgar/Charlotte Margiono/Barbara Bonney

7. Erster Aufzug: No.6 Marsch - Laszlo Polgar/Charlotte Margiono/Barbara Bonney

8. Erster Aufzug: No.7 Aria with Chor: Ha, welch ein Augenblick! - Sergei Leiferkus/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner

9. Erster Aufzug: No.8 Duet: Jetzt, alter, hat es Eile! - Sergei Leiferkus/Laszlo Polgar

10. Erster Aufzug: No.9 Recitative & Arie: Abscheulicher, wo eilst du hin - Charlotte Margiono

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Zweiter Aufzug: No.11 Intro & Aria: Gott!-Welch Dunkel hier! - Peter Seiffert

2. Zweiter Aufzug: No.11 Intro & Aria: In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen - Peter Seiffert

3. Zweiter Aufzug: No.12 Melodram & Duet: Wie kalt es ist - Charlotte Margiono/Laszlo Polgar

4. Zweiter Aufzug: No.12 Melodram & Duet: Nur hurtig fort, nur frisch gegraben - Laszlo Polgar/Charlotte Margiono

5. Zweiter Aufzug: No.13 Terzett: Euch werde Lohn - Peter Seiffert/Laszlo Polgar/Charlotte Margiono

6. Zweiter Aufzug: No.14 Qt: Er sterbe! - Charlotte Margiono

7. Zweiter Aufzug: No.15 Duet: O namenlose Freude! - Sergei Leiferkus/Peter Seiffert/Charlotte Margiono/Laszlo Polgar

8. Zweiter Aufzug: No.16 Finale: Heil sei dem Tag - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner

9. Zweiter Aufzug: No.16 Finale: Des besten Konigs Wink & Willie - Boje Skovhus/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner/Laszlo Polgar/Sergei Leiferkus...

10. Zweiter Aufzug: No.16 Finale: Wer ein holdes Weib errungen - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner/Peter Seiffert/Charlotte Margiono/Laszlo Polgar...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best digital Fidelio, February 21, 2000

By 

Joaquin Ponce (Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fidelio / Margiono, Seiffert, Leiferkus, Skovhus, Polgár, Bonney, van der Walt (Audio CD)

Despite what the Gramophone says, I think this is the best digital Fidelio available. If you bought Harnoncourt's superb Beethoven cycle with the same orchestra, you will know what to expect: sharp tempos in early XIX Century fashion, and sensational orchestral playing. But there is also warmth and humanity in Harnoncourt's vision. This set reminds me of my favourite Fidelio: the Ferenc Fricsay recording in DG with Rysanek, Haefliger and DFD. Charlotte Margiono has the right voice for Leonore and gives an outstanding performance. The rest of the cast is also excellent.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bought this on a whim, now my favorite Fidelio recording, February 3, 2011

By 

jt52 "jt52" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fidelio / Margiono, Seiffert, Leiferkus, Skovhus, Polgár, Bonney, van der Walt (Audio CD)

I had been operating under the assumption that the old EMI Fidelio with Christa Ludwig and Otto Klemperer was the definitive recording of Beethoven's only opera and that none of the competition came close. I sampled the Karajan version with Helga Dernesch and thought it was pretty good -- with an absolutely outstanding overture -- but Dernesch isn't the singer Ludwig is. Then I bought this Harnoncourt recording of Fidelio and it has become my favorite:

1) Harnoncourt takes brisker tempi than Klemperer or Karajan. The validity of the approach is apparent, as the individual numbers become more coherent and easier to follow in terms of thematic logic. One really clear example is the introduction to Act 2 and Florestan's opening number, which kind of drags in both competing versions (both sung by Jon Vickers, whose vocal range doesn't really extend to the top of this aria), but in Harnoncourt's rendition, it flows and develops nicely.

2) The sonics of this audiophile-level CD are MUCH better, especially compared to the Klemperer re-mastering, which is OK but has some really boomy bass. The amount of detail I heard when I listened to Harnoncourt's version opened my ears to some of the effects and contrapuntal writing Beethoven introduced.

3) The overall cast is very, very good. Heck, you have a bona fide star in Sergei Leiferkus doing a hoarse, raspy Pisarro in a supporting role. Barbara Bonney, as always, and Laszlo Polgar are just terrific in two other important supporting roles. The nod for the lead role goes to Christa Ludwig (in the Klemperer recording), though. I am a fan of Charlotte Margiono just on the basis of an outstanding performance in Harnoncourt's recording of Cosi fan tutte, but she is only good here. I think Ludwig brings more intensity to maybe my favorite sequence in the opera, the Melodrama and Duet in Act 2 (Disc 2, track 3 &4). Ludwig is also in better control in the big Act 1 aria "Abscheulicher" (Disc 1, track 10), where I think Margiono is taxed at times. That said, Margiono is a quality singer and delivers a solid performance.

So while I prefer the Klemperer version for some items (and it remains a very good rendition), this Harnoncourt honestly supersedes it, both in terms of overall interpretation and in recording sonics. Strongly recommended.

5 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Flawed performance..., March 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Fidelio / Margiono, Seiffert, Leiferkus, Skovhus, Polgár, Bonney, van der Walt (Audio CD)

This fine performance of Beethoven's great opera is a marred by the fact that the text is not entirely Beethoven's. Unfortunately, the text is an "adapted" one. So, if you want to hear the real Fidelio look elsewhere. The Naxos version, though it is cut, is excellent and worth acquiring.

As a general rule I prefer to hear the composers final thoughts (or earlier versions) rather than that of a conductor or an editor.