Fidelio

BY LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

PREMIÉRE:

Theatre am Kärntnertor, Vienna, 23 May 1814

Two years prior to the opening scene, the Spanish nobleman Florestan has exposed or attempted to expose certain crimes of a rival nobleman, Pizarro. In revenge, Pizarro has secretly imprisoned Florestan in the prison over which he is governor. Simultaneously, Pizarro has spread false rumours about Florestan’s death.

The warden of the prison, Rocco, has a daughter, Marzelline, and an assistant, Jaquino, who is in love with Marzelline. The faithful wife of Florestan, Leonore, suspects that her husband is still alive. Disguised as a boy, under the alias “Fidelio”, she gains employment working for Rocco. As the boy Fidelio, she earns the favor of her employer, Rocco, and also the affections of his daughter Marzelline, much to Jaquino’s chagrin.

On orders, Rocco has been giving the imprisoned Florestan diminishing rations until he is nearly starved to death

ACT I – A Prison Somewhere in the World

In a prison, Marzelline, daughter of the jailer, Rocco, rejects the attentions of her father’s assistant, Jacquino, who hopes to marry her. Her heart is set instead on the new errand boy, Fidelio. The latter, a hardworking lad, arrives with provisions and dispatches and is distressed by Marzelline’s interest in him, especially since it has the blessing of Rocco.

Fidelio is in fact Leonore, a noblewoman of Seville who has come to the jail disguised as a man to find her husband, Florestan, a political prisoner languishing somewhere in chains. When Rocco mentions a man lying near death in the vaults below, Leonore, suspecting it might be Florestan, begs Rocco to take her on his rounds. He agrees, though the governor of the prison, Don Pizarro, allows only Rocco in the lower levels of the dungeon.

As soldiers assemble in the courtyard, Pizarro learns from the dispatches brought to him that Don Fernando, minister of state, is on his way to inspect the fortress. At this news the governor resolves to kill Florestan, his enemy, without delay and orders Rocco to dig a grave for the victim in the dungeon. Leonore, overhearing his plan, realizes Pizarro’s evil nature and the plight of his victim.

After praying for strength to save her husband and keep up hope, she again begs Rocco to let her accompany him to the condemned man’s cell – and also to allow the other prisoners a few moments of air in the courtyard. The gasping

men relish their glimpse of freedom but are ordered back by Pizarro, who hurries Rocco off to dig Florestan’s grave. With apprehension, Leonore follows him into the dungeon.

ACT II – The Same

Segregated from everyone else, the weakened Florestan dreams he sees Leonore arrive to free him. But his vision turns to despair, and he sinks down exhausted. Rocco and Leonore arrive and begin digging the grave. Florestan awakens, not recognizing his wife, and Leonore almost loses her composure at the familiar sound of his voice. Florestan moves the jailer to offer him a drink, and Leonore gives him a bit of bread, urging him not to lose faith.

Rocco then blows on his whistle to signal Pizarro that all is ready. The governor advances with a dagger drawn to kill Florestan, but Leonore stops him with a pistol shouting “ first kill his wife”. At this moment a trumpet sounds from the battlements: Don Fernando has arrived. Rocco leads Pizarro out to meet him as Leonore and Florestan rejoice in each other’s arms.

In the prison courtyard, Don Fernando proclaims justice for all. He is amazed when Rocco brings his friend Florestan before him and relates the details of Leonora’s heroism.

Pizarro is arrested, and Leonore herself removes Florestan’s chains. The other prisoners too are freed, and the crowd hails Leonore., raising their voices in praise of true love: “Never can one extol too highly the women who saves her husband!”

SinfoNua is the NCH’s development orchestra for emerging professionals, and has recently performed such works as Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, Elgar’s Cello Concerto, and Stravinsky’s Symphonic Dances.

In this most important commemorative year, Lyric Opera and the National Concert Hall bring a unique operatic experience to the stage of the NCH, supported by a number of other educational events and activities. To present Beethoven’s towering and only opera.

This collaboration is a fitting work for both Lyric Opera and The National Concert Hall to combine their passion in nurturing extraordinary young musicians both vocal and orchestral.

In September 1965, a small group of people, who were interested in bringing classical music to the community of Carlow, got together to hear a recording of Handel’s ‘Messiah’.  At that meeting it was decided to form the Carlow Choral Union.  Under the influence of the Carlow Cathedral organist, Dr Karl Seeldrayers and a lecturer of music in Trinity College, Dublin, Dr Joseph Groocock, the new choir began rehearsals to sing ‘Messiah’ during the following spring and on March 29th 1966, its first performance took place, to acclaim, in St Dympna’s Hospital.  Since then, the choir has gone from strength to strength,

benefiting   greatly   from   the input of a series of excellent musical directors.  A change of name to Carlow Choral Society came about in 1989.

Today the choir is composed of over 70 members (sopranos, altos, tenors and basses) who come from all over Carlow itself and neighbouring counties.  Coming from many different backgrounds, they all share a common love of choral music and a commitment to performing to audiences, not only in Carlow, but throughout Ireland.   In addition, the choir has performed in various locations throughout the UK and Europe. To date, the Society’s repertoire includes some of the world’s most famous musical works – Bach’s, St Matthew’s Passion and St John’s Passion; Verdi’s, Mozart’s, Brahms’s and Faure’s ‘Requiem’; Haydn’s ‘Creation’ and ‘The Seasons’ and many more. In 2011, Carlow Choral Society recorded a Christmas CD which is on sale in during the Christmas period.

Their current Musical Director is the renowned choral director – Blánaid Murphy