Germany Beethoven, Fidelio: Soloists, Chorus, and Extras, Theater Magdeburg, and Magdeburger Singakademie. Magdeburg Philharmonic / Pavel Poplawski (conductor). Theater Magdeburg, 17.5.2025. (DM-D)
Production:
Director – Ilaria Lanzino
Sets, Sound and Video – Martin Hickmann
Costumes – Vanessa Rust
Dramaturgy Sarah Ströbele
Chorus director – Martin Wagner
Cast:
Leonore – Raffaela Lintl
Florestan – Tilmann Unger
Don Pizzaro – Sebastian Holecek
Rocco – Johannes Stermann
Marzelline – Elvire Beekhuizen
Jaquino – Adrian Domarecki
Don Fernando – Giorgi Mtchedlishvili
First Prisoner – Peter Diebschlag
Second Prisoner – Max Colombo
For the duration of a performance, every production creates its own universe, in relation to plot, score, cast, venue and audience. At times a production even distorts the characters, as was the case in this revival of a 2024 production of Fidelio in Magdeburg. The set represented an indoor living space with warped proportions and arrangements. One of the windows, complete with curtains, was on the ceiling, a bed stood upright against the back wall so that those creatures who used it actually stood on the end-board. A sofa with a TV set in front of it was positioned so that those sitting on it looked at the stage ceiling. A toy chest on the floor opened to the prison area below, which was raised into view for some of the scenes, a dark space full of black bin bags. The prisoners sometimes stretched their arms through to the world above. One corner in the room housed an office area, with a computer and a large cabinet full of filing folders. Some of them were clearly painted onto a surface that the creatures could shift to the side and use as a narrow passageway to an undefined area beyond.
The distorted creatures inhabiting this universe were an appropriately odd mixture, too. Only Leonore and Florestan were conventional humans, with Leonore seeking to fit in with her warped environment by wearing an artificial-looking platinum blonde wig. The prisoners reminded me of images of concentration camp survivors. Rocco, Jaquino, Marzelline and Don Pizarro were caricatures inspired by the Struwwelpeter characters in terms of hairstyle and colourful outfits. Don Pizarro acted like a puppeteer at times, making the others move according to his wishes. Don Fernando first appeared from the foyer, as if he were God or an aged Jesus, walking to the middle of the front row of the stalls and holding up a large cardboard sign with the words ‘ihr habts verbockt’ (‘you’ve messed it up’) on one side. He then turned the sign round to reveal ‘bis gleich!’ (‘see you in a moment’), left the auditorium and returned at the back of the set. At the end of the opera, the prisoners had all changed into very colourful costumes, only Florestan remaining in his prison long johns, with God in blessing pose at the back, while raised banners of cosy clouds and lovely little angels suggested we were now in some kind of heaven.
The impression was visually impressive and richly detailed. The programme notes may give some insight into the production team’s intentions. What I saw and have sought to describe did not coalesce into a storyline of any kind, nor did it relate much, if at all, to the libretto or music. However, it was neither annoying nor boring.
All singers, both soloists and chorus, clearly enjoyed the demands the production made on their acting skills, never appearing in the slightest uncomfortable with set, costumes, hairdos or required movements. Some were placed, especially in the opening scenes, towards the very back of the stage, far away from the orchestra and even further from the audience – exacerbated by the fact that the pit is particularly wide in the Magdeburg opera house. They had problems making themselves heard, not just above but even with the orchestra, and conductor Pavel Poplawski did not do enough to alleviate this issue. When the balance of singers and orchestra was manageable in terms of the singer’s physical positions on the stage, the achievement was strong overall. Raffaela Lintl offered a consistently beautifully lyrical rather than dramatic interpretation of Leonore, never straining her voice. Transitions between registers, particularly in the demanding Act I aria, were very smooth, and firm breath control allowed for impressive crescendos. Tilmann Unger’s voice was strong in the lower register and openly ringing at the top, with a particularly striking crescendo on his first utterance of ‘Gott!’ Much of the singing by Florestan, however, is in the passagio between chest and head voices. Unger sounded less confident here, sometimes straining his voice and narrowing the sound as a result.
Johannes Stermann was very good as Rocco, combining sufficient vocal agility with profoundly sonorous singing. Elvire Beekhuizen and Adrian Domarecki sang Marzelline and Jaquino with just the right level of precision required for Beethoven. Sebastian Holecek as Don Pizarro sought to overcome the initial distance to the audience by bellowing and shouting. Later he was able, however, to trust the inherent strength of his singing voice. Giorgi Mtchedlishvili as Don Fernando suffered most from having to sing from the back of the stage against an untamed orchestra. A production should present its singers in the best possible way. Singers are likely to be members of a company or guest performers at a medium-sized opera house such as Magdeburg’s because they have a voice that is appropriate for just that very size. Placing such a singer at the back of the stage emulates the conditions of a larger house. Such a production choice thus does an unnecessary and in fact careless disservice to the singers concerned and to the audience.
The chorus was initially placed behind the walls of the distorted interior space. Their pianissimo entry was nearly lost, the often-haunting effect of the crescendo gone. Unison was rarely achieved even later on. Overall Pavel Poplawski demonstrated a keen awareness of the intricacies of Beethoven’s music, its idiosyncratic rhythms and melodic arcs.
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe
Featured Image: Theater Magdeburg © Andreas Lander