Beethoven’s Fidelio – opera in concert

Directed and narrated by David Pountney

Click here to download house programme

Every autumn, the Beethovenfest is held at the composer’s native city of Bonn. This tradition dates back to 1845, when a three-day music festival was held on the occasion of the dedication of a Beethoven Monument to mark the 75th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Franz Liszt conducted during the festival and Hector Berlioz was one of the guests.

From 7th to 20th of May, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Edo de Waart and the Hong Kong Philharmonic will perform the most monumental of Beethoven’s masterpieces, paying homage to the great composer who changed the course of music forever.

As the 18th century turned into the 19th, and as the Classical era metamorphosed into the Romantic, a truly creative radical thinker was at the helm of music. Beethoven changed the course of music with his nine monumental symphonies, his many concertos, string quartets, sonatas, songs and chamber music. But there is only one opera in the Beethoven legacy – Fidelio. Its story of unfailing love and devotion set against a background of political imprisonment and eventual freedom from tyranny still resonates in the 21st century, elevated by Beethoven’s enlightened music and revolutionary ideals. Returning to Hong Kong following the triumph of her performances as Salome and Elektra in de Waart’s first two concert-opera projects, Susan Bullock is joined by tenor Simon O’Neill as the couple finally reunited in the opera’s glorious finale.