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Notes
After their acclaimed recording of Weber’s Freischütz, the Dresdner Philharmonie and its Principal conductor Marek Janowski present yet another German opera classic with Beethoven’s Fidelio. They work together with a stellar cast — well-seasoned in German opera — including Lise Davidsen (Fidelio/Leonore), Christian Elsner (Florestan), Georg Zeppenfeld (Rocco), Christina Landshamer (Marzelline), Cornel Frey (Jaquino), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Don Pizzarro) and Günther Groissböck (Don Fernando). This should have been a live concert recording, but Covid-19 frustrated those plans. Luckily, it turned out possible to record Beethoven’s masterpiece in two studio sessions, with two different, established choirs: the Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden, as well as the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir. Katharina Wagner and Daniel Weber have adapted the original dialogues for this recording. Fidelio is the quintessential rescue opera, in which a wife goes to any lengths to free her beloved from the chains of a barbaric, oppressive regime. Beethoven’s opera on the power of love and the enlightening power of humanity still resonates with us today, and its music continues to delight and inspire. Marek Janowski, the Dresdner Philharmonie and the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir have a vast PENTATONE discography, including complete recordings of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Puccini’s Il Tabarro (both released in 2020). Lise Davidsen starred in Weber’s Freischütz (2019), while Christian Elsner, Georg Zeppenfeld and Günther Groissböck contributed to PENTATONE’s complete Wagner operas recording, amongst others. Christina Landshamer, Cornel Frey, Johannes Martin Kränzle and the Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden make their PENTATONE debut.
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Reviews
"... this recording has a superb cast and it is interpreted not just conducted... Janowski's phrasing is full of thoughtful insights and a well defined and dramatic pulse... excellent recording " *****
“… it’s the orchestra which catches attention, with Janowski coaxing heartfelt playing from the strings and above all the horns, who somehow come to signify all that is most helpful in this great work.”
Christopher Cook – BBC Music magazine – October 2021
“… Pentatone’s recording, exceptionally clear and warm, strikes an ideal balance between the voices and orchestra, with the chorus far enough forward to be an active participant in the drama … the singing of Lise Davidsen is masterly, and will no doubt ensure this recording’s success.”
David A. McConnell – theclassicreview.com – 15 July 2021
Album of the Week
“… She [Lise Davidsen] is radiant in Act II’s sublime O Gott, Welch ein Augenblick and completely secure at the top, heading a fine cast including Georg Zeppenfeld (Rocco), Günther Groissböck (Fernando) and Kränzle (Pizarro), a character baritone who oozes malevolence. Janowski is a swift, vital Beethovenian, and the Dresden Opera Chorus sings with breathtaking beauty in the Act I finale.”
Hugh Canning – The Sunday Times (Culture magazine) – 11 July 2021
“… From the conductor’s point of view this reading is certainly on a par with most of the competitors… The singing is also, by and large, in the top flight. The secondary love couple, Jaquino and Marzelline, are well in the picture. Cornel Frey is an expressive character tenor and Christina Landshamer is a fresh-voiced Marzelline who twitters beguilingly in her aria… In her [Davidsen] big scene (CD 1 tr. 9) she turns out to be powerful and dramatic but also sings beautifully with excellent legato in the lyrical moments, which are just as important in her aria. She has the power and intensity of both Flagstad and Nilsson without reminding much of either. The glorious final note is certainly spine-chilling… the choral forces are magnificent in the final scene, which becomes a jubilant homage to freedom. The excellent recording contributes a lot to the impact of the performance… Perhaps this new recording doesn’t exactly sweep the board, considering how many excellent recordings from yesteryear exist, but it is highly competitive and no one investing in it will regret the purchase.”
Göran Forsling – MusicWeb-International.com – 1 July 2021
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