“Janowski is a swift, vital Beethovenian, and the Dresden Opera Chorus sings with breathtaking beauty in the Act I finale”
Beethoven: Fidelo, performed by Marek Janowski, Lise Davidsen, Christian Elsner, Georg Zeppenfeld, Günther Groissböck, Cornel Frey, Christina Landshamer, Johannes-Martin Kränzle, Aaron Pegram, Chao Deng , Dresdner Philharmonie , Sächsischer Staatsopernchor DresdenMDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig, conducted by Marek Janowski, received a stellar review in the Sunday Times by Hugh Canning.
This is Davidsen’s second complete opera recording for Pentatone and Janowski after her lovely Agathe in Weber’s Der Freischütz. Her Leonore in Beethoven’s only opera followed her live performances in April last year at Covent Garden. What had been planned as a live recording in June became a fine studio version in which Davidsen’s lyrical, even girlish timbre and the insights gained from her live run pay dividends here. She is radiant in Act II’s sublime O Gott, Welch ein Augenblick and completely secure at the top, heading a fine cast including Georg Zeppenfeld (Rocco), Günther Groissböck (Fernando) and Kränzle (Pizarro), a character baritone who oozes malevolence. Janowski is a swift, vital Beethovenian, and the Dresden Opera Chorus sings with breathtaking beauty in the Act I finale.
Photo by Felix Broede
