DVD + Blu-Ray:
Ludwig van Beethoven: Leonore / Opera Lafayette

An early version of latest Beethoven’s Fidelio, Leonore (1805) staged by Opera Lafayette’s artistic director Ryan Brown to mark the anniversary year.

Opera in three acts (first version, 1805)
Libretto by Joseph Sonnleithner after Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly

Beethoven started composing Leonore in January 1804. The premiere of Leonore, given before an uncomprehending audience at a time of political upheaval, was a failure and Beethoven responded by shortening the work from three acts to two, which was the version performed in 1806. After further revisions it was to emerge in 1814 as Fidelio. This Leonore production includes the aria sung by Florestan at the start of the third act, which was partly lost during the numerous revisions of the opera. Other conductors have used the 1806 revision of the aria, but Opera Lafayette drew on a reconstruction made by conductor Will Crutchfield.

Leonore/Fidelio NATHALIE PAULIN Soprano
Florestan JEAN-MICHEL RICHER Tenor
Rocco STEPHEN HEGEDUS Bass-baritone
Marzelline PASCALE BEAUDIN Soprano
Pizarro MATTHEW SCOLLIN Bass-baritone
Jaquino KEVEN GEDDES Tenor
Don Fernando ALEXANDRE SYLVESTRE Bass

OPERA LAFAYETTE ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
Conductor and Artistic Director RYAN BROWN
Stage Director ORIOL TOMAS
Video Director JASON STARR
Filmed on 2–4 March 2020 at the Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College, New York, NY, USA

Total playing time: 148 minutes
Language: German · Subtitles: German, English, French, Japanese, Korean
DVD: NTSC 16:9 · PCM stereo · DVD 9 · Region: 0
BD: HD 16:9 · PCM stereo · BD 50 · Region: A, B, C