FIDELIO Beethoven Dutch National Opera

Suspecting her missing husband is being held as a political prisoner, a noblewoman disguises herself as a male prison guard. She discovers him weakened in the darkest dungeon but will she be able to rescue him before it is too late? Dutch National Opera’s production will be unlike any Fidelio you may have seen before. In Ukrainian stage director Andriy Zholdak’s version, Beethoven’s opera is depicted through symbols, video projections and spoken texts. A master of imagery, Zholdak tells the story of this rescue opera as an imaginary fight between good and evil forces, in every person and in the universe. The central couple Leonore (Fidelio) and Florestan must fight a battle with the devil-like Pizarro to restore harmony within themselves and the world. Zholdak makes numerous references to devils, such as snakes, fallen angels and mirrors. It seems that evil disrupts everything - except the music, which is performed by a world-class cast with the prestigious Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by An