Beethoven: Fidelio (Theater an der Wien 2020, directed by Waltz)

None other than Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz was engaged to direct the new production of "Fidelio" at the Theater an der Wien. In his third opera production, Waltz stages the second version (from 1806) of Beethoven's only, ill-fated opera within a breathtaking set design by the German-American architectural firm Barkow Leibinger. The abstract, double-helix stair structure, which symbolizes the prison, extends the space into the back of the theater and is infinitely mutable within the concept of Hollywood-experienced lighting designer Henry Braham. The production, which had been sold out months in advance, never experienced its stage premiere, as the Theater an der Wien unfortunately had to close just days prior due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to the incredible efforts of everyone involved, the opera house was converted into a film studio on short notice, allowing the production of Beethoven's fiery musical plea for freedom and humanity to reach its audience after all. Manfred Honeck, on the podium of the Vienna Symphony, leads a strong cast of singers: Nicole Chevalier enchants vocally and dramatically in her stage debut as Leonore, while Eric Cutler lends a powerful voice to Florestan. Christof Fischesser, Gábor Bretz, and Mélissa Petit complete the vocal ensemble.