Beethoven: Fidelio, Op. 72 (Visual Album) [Live]

Captured for video with hours to spare before lockdown, this performance from the Royal Opera enshrines one of the young soprano Lise Davidsen’s major early triumphs. Her Leonore justifiably brought the house down for its humanity, soul, and glorious singing. Tobias Kratzer’s production acknowledges the work’s disjointedness (the first act domestic, the second universal), but it strikes many contemporary resonances. David Butt Philip is an intense Florestan and the remainder of the cast is finely characterized (the secondary couple of Marzelline and Jaquino are beautifully portrayed). Antonio Pappano conducts with authority, making the orchestra the real engine of this great work.