Authentic page mp3s - Leonore, opera in 3 acts

[Peter]

Now available to members at www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/authentic.html

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
Now available to members at www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/authentic.html

A big note of caution concerning this CD. It is not a recording of any particular authentic version of Leonore, but rather Gardiner's ideal selection from all the versions. Also there is no spoken dialogue between the characters, but rather a narrator directs us between each number, much like is done with the Egmont music. Frankly i find the use of an narrator with Leonore completely ridiculous and very annoying as there is no other period instrument version of Leonore/Fidelio available.

Frustratingly the performances of the music itself is on the whole very good, but because of these other 'irregularities' I only bought this CD because it was half price in a sale, and only then motivated for the purposes of this site.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
A big note of caution concerning this CD. It is not a recording of any particular authentic version of Leonore, but rather Gardiner's ideal selection from all the versions. Also there is no spoken dialogue between the characters, but rather a narrator directs us between each number, much like is done with the Egmont music. Frankly i find the use of an narrator with Leonore completely ridiculous and very annoying as there is no other period instrument version of Leonore/Fidelio available.

Frustratingly the performances of the music itself is on the whole very good, but because of these other 'irregularities' I only bought this CD because it was half price in a sale, and only then motivated for the purposes of this site.

Well your sacrifice is much appreciated Rod! Fine performance indeed of these rarities.

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
Well your sacrifice is much appreciated Rod! Fine performance indeed of these rarities.

My pleasure. This music later cut or revised is still in itself very good and some of it very dramatic, though all in all Fidelio is the better solution and is unsurpassed in the world of opera for me.

I agree with the text that Leonore as a whole seems more traditionally operatic than Fidelio, which is a much more focused affair more akin to Beethoven's usual manner of composition.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Chris]

Indeed, thanks Rod. I really enjoyed these.

[Geratlas]

Yes, thank you Rod. Complements for a good piece selection. I consider the highly inspired Don Pizarro aria, as presented here, to be the most effective version.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Geratlas:
Yes, thank you Rod. Complements for a good piece selection. I consider the highly inspired Don Pizarro aria, as presented here, to be the most effective version.

Gardiner in his notes states he thinks the 1805 production is the best, on the grounds that it is a purer and more spontaneous outburst of Beethoven's true revolutionary spirit than Fidelio (by which time events had tempered B's zeal!). He also states the characters are more phychologically developed in this version of the libretto. Fair enough, so how does 'Sir' Gardiner demonstrate this? By presenting on this CD a mish-mash of music from the 1805, 1806 and 1814 productions, removing the original spoken dialogue all together and replacing it with some ridiculous prose spoken by a single narrator! Is this not the most bizzare thing!!??

I have on CD the 1806 version too (modern instruments). All things considered it is clear why Beethoven made the cuts and revisions when one listens to the complete operas, even though when you listen to individual numbers you may scratch your head as to why he cut so much good music.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin



[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 03-23-2005).]

[Rod]

PS I've just uploaded some tracks from the best recording of Messiah at my Handel site. If anyone is interested and wants to join go to:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/handelforum/



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Sorrano]

The more of these authentic recordings I hear the more that I like them, especially the orchestral ones. And the more I hear the music from Fidelio/Leonora the more that I like the music and am continually surprised, even after multiple hearings, how good this sounds.

Thanks, again, Rod!

[Rod]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
The more of these authentic recordings I hear the more that I like them, especially the orchestral ones. And the more I hear the music from Fidelio/Leonora the more that I like the music and am continually surprised, even after multiple hearings, how good this sounds.

Thanks, again, Rod!

And all the music at my Handel site is authentic too!

But I found time to watch my non-authentic DVD of Fidelio at the Royal Opera Covent Garden last night (with Christoph von Dohnanyi cond.) and can recommend it (in the absence of a period band version!), the sound quality in particular is excellent. I saw in a music store a new DVD of Fidelio with Harnoncourt. Has anyone seen this?


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
The more of these authentic recordings I hear the more that I like them, especially the orchestral ones. And the more I hear the music from Fidelio/Leonora the more that I like the music and am continually surprised, even after multiple hearings, how good this sounds.

Thanks, again, Rod!

I agree Sorrano!

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'Man know thyself'

[Johan]

Hello!
Leonore has some incredibly wonderful moments. I myself think especially of these:
"Ja, wir gehorchen schon."
"Ach, es waren schöne Tage,..."
The ending notes of the Quartett "Er sterbe" continuing with the words of Leonore ("Die Waffe hab' ich mir nehmen lassen..."). The following recitative and duett "Ich kann mich noch nicht fassen - O namen-, namenlose Freude". In the finale "Preist! Preist!".
Especially the second act of Fidelio could have had something of the music from Ur-Leonore. Of course this would almost certainly mean changes in drama, so my point is only of musical preferences.