Antonio Pappano conducts a new production of Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, in celebration of the composer’s 250th birthday.

Though Florestan is widely believed to be dead, his wife Leonore is convinced he is held captive in a prison run by the tyrant Don Pizarro. She disguises herself as a boy, Fidelio, and takes a job in the prison. There Leonore wins the trust of the gaoler Rocco – whose daughter Marzelline falls in love with her – and persuades him to take her to see a prisoner held in solitary confinement. She is sure this prisoner is Florestan and they will be reunited. But time is running out, as Don Pizarro is plotting murder.

Award-winning director Tobias Kratzer and his regular collaborator, designer Rainer Sellmaier, make their Royal Opera debuts in a darkly realistic production inspired by the French Revolutionary Terror and by sinister political events in our own times. German tenor Jonas Kaufmann returns to The Royal Opera as Florestan, while Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen sings the role of Leonore (Fidelio). German bass Georg Zeppenfeld sings Rocco, with American soprano Amanda Forsythe as his daughter Marzelline and Irish tenor Robin Tritschler as her spurned suitor Jaquino. Don Pizarro will be sung by British baritone Simon Neal and Latvian bass-baritone Eglis Siliņš sings the minister Don Fernando.

Fidelio opens at the Royal Opera House on 1 March 2020 (matinee performance at 3pm), with subsequent performances on 3, 6, 9, 13 and 17 March 2020 at 7.30pm. You can find last-minute tickets even for sold-out shows via our Friday Rush programme.

Fidelio will be shown live in UK cinemas as part of the Royal Opera House’s Live Cinema Season on Tuesday 17 March 2020. The production will also be broadcast to cinemas around the world.

FIDELIO
1 March 2020 at 3pm
3, 6, 9, 13, 17 March at 7.30pm

The performance on 17 March 2020 will be broadcast live to cinemas around the world as part of the Royal Opera House’s 2019/20 Live Cinema Season.

Sung in German with English surtitles

Position of Music Director Maestro Antonio Pappano generously supported by Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE

Generous philanthropic support from Alfiya and Timur Kuanyshev, Aud Jebsen, Martin and Jane Houston, Rena and Sandro Lavery, Melinda and Donald Quintin, Mary Ellen Johnson and Richard Karl Goeltz, Trifon and Despina Natsis, Mrs Trevor Swete, the Maestro's Circle, The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund, the American Friends of Covent Garden and two anonymous donors.

Credits
Music Ludwig van Beethoven
Libretto Joseph Sonnleithner, Stephan von Breuning and Georg Friedrich Treitschke
Director Tobias Kratzer
Designer Rainer Sellmaier
Lighting designer Michael Bauer
Video designer Manuel Braun
Dramaturg Bettina Bartz

Performers
Conductor Antonio Pappano
Leonore (Fidelio) Lise Davidsen
Florestan Jonas Kaufmann
Rocco Georg Zeppenfeld
Don Pizarro Simon Neal
Marzelline Amanda Forsythe
Jaquino Robin Tritschler
Don Fernando Eglis Siliņš
First Prisoner Filipe Manu*
Second Prisoner ByeongMin Gil*

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

LATEST NEWS