Beethoven: Fidelio ****
Sala Santa Cecilia, Rome, 22nd October 2016
Released from the incarceration of directorial prison walls, Fidelio can still make a most powerful impact on the concert platform. Despite formal evening attire – Rachel Willis-Sørensen “Fidelio” in a trouser suit with her long hair tied back – the singers in Rome’s Sala Santa Cecilia were as fully engaged as if they were in a staged production, singing without scores. Sir Antonio Pappano propelled the work forward with tremendous vigour, yet still found space to reflect upon the human dignity and the quest for freedom explored in Beethoven’s only opera.
Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Simon O’Neill and Sir Antonio Pappano
© Riccardo Musacchio & Flavio Ianniello
Read the full review on Bachtrack.