Organization

Conductor

Leopold Ludwig

Singer

Bass

Hans Sotin

Don Fernando

Baritone

Theo Adam

Don Pizzaro

Tenor

Richard Cassell

Florestan

Soprano

Anja Silja

Leonore

Staatsoper Hamburg

Others

Hamburg State Opera Choir

Orchestra

Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg

Fidelio

Hamburg

Germany

Staatsoper

If not at the beginning of the opera, then surely with the well-known prisoner chorus “O welche Wonne!” everybody will recognise the outstanding quality of this Fidelio. Leonore’s “Töt erst sein Weib!”, sung by the soprano Anja Silja, is only one out of many deep emotional moments of this studio production of the Hamburg State Opera, recorded in 1968 under the artistic direction by Rolf Liebermann. This very natural set and unostentatious production goes without any wrong pathos and lives through its simple beauty, strong emotions and great musical moments. A reunion with great opera stars: Anja Silja as Leonore, Lucia Popp as Marzelline, Richard Cassilly as Florestan, Hans Sotin as Don Fernando und Theo Adam as Don Pizarro.

Opera in two acts. Libretto by Joseph Sonnleithner, Stephan von Breuning and Georg Friedrich Treitschke, after Jean Nicolas Bouilly's "Léonore ou L'Amour conjugal".

A historical studio production from the Hamburg State Opera (1968)

Produced by Polyphon Film- und Fernsehgesellschaft for NDR
© Polyphon 1968

The DVD is available via Arthaus Musik and can be ordered here.

TV director: Joachim Hess
Set and costume design: Wilhelm Reinking
Chorus: Günther Schmidt-Bohländer

Musical direction: Leopold Ludwig
Don Fernando: Hans Sotin
Don Pizarro: Theo Adam
Florestan: Richard Cassilly
Leonore: Anja Silja
Rocco: Ernst Wiemann
Marzelline: Lucia Popp
Jacquino: Erwin Wohlfahrt
Erster Gefangener: Kurt Marschner
Zweiter Gefangener: William Workman
Orchestra: Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
Chorus: Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper

Fidelio by Beethoven, From (1968/1968), Conductor Leopold Ludwig, Staatsoper, Hamburg, Germany

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Ensemble

Programme, About & Synopsis

Videos

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues