Lossless is available in FLAC and ALAC (For Mac). You select on the download page.
When you purchase a lossless format, we include the MP3 free of charge
Please note: On Mp3 format an unavoidable click may be heard on segue track breaks, to avoid this issue please select lossless
This item is temporarily unavailable.
Why not buy the whole Album?
Your selections total more than the whole disc price.
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.
Please login to post a review
Reviews
Opera category - Nominee
International Classical Music Awards 2022
Choc de Classica
Pierre Flinois – Classica (France) – December 2021-January 2022
“…a commanding performance from the young Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen puts the spotlight unquestionably on Leonore. Davidsen’s combination of power, virtuosity and beauty, which makes her Act I aria, Absheulicher! (You monster!) so moving, is rare and wonderful. Davidsen is supported by a largely terrific cast. In particular, I love how Georg Zeppenfeld brings out Rocco’s humanity, compromised though he may be. Johannes Kränzle makes a satisfyingly nasty Pizarro, and Christina Landshamer is an affecting Marzelline… The exquisite Dresden Philharmonic plays with the agility of a chamber ensemble, while the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir is inspired, soaring in the rapturous O welche Lust (Oh what joy). Conductor Marek Janowski propels things forward with buoyant vitality.”
Pamela Margles – thewholenote.com – 29 October 2021
“… Janowski’s attention to details is everywhere in evidence. Right from the start, there is a wonderful energy to the jaunty lower string figures that accompany Marzeline and Jaquino’s duet. The conductor introduces an improvisatory feeling to the orchestral introduction and recitative of Florestan’s ‘Dungeon Aria’. And the eruption of musical joy at the start of the opera’s final scene is thrilling. The Maestro’s concept is executed faithfully by the outstanding orchestra, and the male voices of the MDR Radio Choir make the Act I ‘Prisoners’ Chorus’ particularly affecting…”
Allen Altman – American Record Guide – November/December 2021
“… this is a recording that is worth listening to … Lise Davidsen is a young star of the opera world, she embodied Leonore on stage in London before the pandemic. Now she is immortalizing her fresh interpretation on sound carrier. Her lush soprano is extremely impressive: the glistening highs, the rich and dark colors in the middle register, the sheer power and richness of sound that emanates from this voice… As Florestan, Christian Elsner is an unusual cast, lyrically grounded and with little heroism. And yet these are precisely the strengths of his interpretation. He draws a broken man who stands on the threshold between life and death, whose hope is only a memory. Elsner fights, like so many tenors, for the final bars of his great aria, but he wins - with a shimmering youth and at the same time credibly attacked tonal beauty. His diction is crystal clear, you can believe every word of this Florestan. Christina Landshamer delivers a squeaky clean and personable Marcelline, while Cornel Frey still gains a lot of profile from the thankless part of Jaquino with his agile playing tenor. The luxury cast of Don Fernando with Günther Groissböck is worthy of a studio recording. This 'Fidelio' …”
Benjamin Künzel – klassik.com – 9 September 2021
"... 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
Media Downloads
Whenever possible we provide a high resolution CD cover image and a PDF version of the CD booklet for you to download and keep
My Wish List
