I had the chance to shoot the dress rehearsal of the Canadian Opera Company's production of Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, last night.Fidelio is the story of the passionate Leonore who disguises herself as a young man to work at the prison where her husband is unjustly incarcerated.Emboldened by her profound love, she struggles to save him from execution by the tyrannical prison governor.Ludwig van Beethoven’s score is a magnificent celebration of the power of love and the strength of the human spirit.Below are a few stills from the production.
Canadian Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, hailed on concert stages around the world for the beauty and tone of her voice, plays the cross-dressing Fidelio. Jon Villars, seen above in Pieczonka's embrace, sang the part at the dress rehearsal but after a very public disagreement with the conductor was replaced by Icelandic Tenor Jon Ketillsson and Richard Margison for the rest of the run. Former COC ensemble member Gidon Saks is just electric as the evil scheming prison warden Don Pizarro lighting up every scene with remarkable energy and acting prowess. Newfoundlander Adam Luther plays the hapless Jaquino, who pines for Marzelline, played by fellow Canadian Virginia Hatfield. Marzelline meanwhile, only has eyes for Fidelio not realising the person she is infatuated with is a woman who has disguised herself as a man to gain entry to the prison.Swedish bass Mats Algrem (seated above) plays well off Gidon Saks as Rocco, the warden's underling.
Fidelio runs from Jan. 24 - Feb. 24 at the Four Seasons Centre. It is sung in German with English SurTitles.
Photographed with the Olympus E3 with 50-200mm 2.8 Digitial Zuiko lens.All photos copyright Torontowide.com. All rights reserved.