The Canadian Opera Company opened its 2023-24 season with a rare gem. Fidelio is the only opera Beethoven ever wrote, and it has not been performed by the COC in almost 15 years.
Leonore hatches a plan to rescue her husband Florestan, who has been wrongfully incarcerated for trying to expose the wrongdoings of Don Pizzaro, governor of the prison. She disguises herself as a man by the name of Fidelio, to work at the prison where her husband is held. She saves him just in the nick of time, as Don Pizzaro is about the silence Florestan for good by means of murder. Leonore’s courage and sacrifice expose Don Pizzaro’s tyranny, and result in the liberation of all the prisoners.
Directed by Matthew Ozawa, this San Francisco Opera production is set in a modern-looking office and jail, with smartly-dressed workers on their computers, making the timeless story even more relatable. The rotating cubic set is clever and visually striking.
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A scene from the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Fidelio, 2023 (Photo: Michael Cooper)
This production features many fresh faces and voices in their COC debut, including the three leads –Miina-Liisa Värelä (Leonore), Clay Hilley (Florestan) and Johannes Martin Kränzle (Don Pizzaro.) The Finnish soprano has a steadfast, stoic presence throughout. Her high notes are precise and as solid as her resolve to save her husband. American tenor Hilley has a stentorian voice that commands attention from his first sustained high G. German baritone Kränzle is a versatile actor, whose brilliant portrayal of evilness is totally believable.
Fidelio has a rather comical side plot. Marzelline, the daughter of Rocco, chief jailer and Fidelio’s supervisor, is being relentlessly courted by the young jailer Jaquino. Alas, Marzelline spurns his attempts as she has fallen in love with Fidelio. Russian bass Dimitry Ivashchenko is a convincing Rocco, both money-hungry and sympathetic at the same time. Canadian soprano Anne–Sophie Neher is delightful as Marzelline, with crystalline tone and clear phrasing. Even though Canadian tenor Josh Lovell‘s vocal power is somewhat lacking, he is endearing as the hopeless suitor.
Beethoven elevates the operatic experience by placing the singers in various combinations of duets, trios and quartets. These are arguably the most enjoyable moments of the opera, and the ensuing sounds are resplendent and well balanced. His is also a master of choral numbers, which are splendidly sung by the COC Chorus. One cannot help but notice that the final chorus has many elements of “Ode to joy” from the composer’s Symphony No. 9. It also takes an orchestra in top form to tackle Beethoven’s sweeping symphonic score. Under the baton of music director Johannes Debus, the COC Orchestra never disappoints.
Canadian Opera Company presents Fidelio at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto from September 29 to October 20, 2023. www.coc.ca
