| Fidelio |
| Review: 'Fidelio' fine end to Sommerfest
Michael Anthony Star Tribune Published August 2, 2004 It has been said of Beethoven's only opera, "Fidelio," that it is one of the few pieces of music that can send the listener away wishing he were a better person. This idealistic ode to liberty, which ends in the freeing of innocent political prisoners, meant a great deal to Viennese audiences in 1814, when the final version of the work was premiered, given the fact that Napoleon's occupation of the city had just been brought to an end. And it can mean a lot to us today, when reports of illegally-held prisoners, whether in Iraq or Guantanamo Bay, have filled the news in recent months A patron, who saw the production in 1992, said this opera has a astonishing ending. All the prison walls fall down when the prisoners are finally released. |
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