Day 34: Beethoven overtures (Fidelio and Leonore 2)

Day 34: Beethoven overtures (Fidelio and Leonore 2)

This is music from my childhood! As well as going to the NewTheatre in Cardiff to see D’Oyly Carte, we were also regulars at the WNO seasons, and I distinctly remember seeing Fidelio. This led me to investigate Beethoven’s other overtures, only to discover that he wrote 3 overtures for his opera Fidelio, each called Leonore (numbers 1, 2 and 3) (after the character in the opera called Leonore, who disguises herself as Fidelio), before settling on the Fidelio Overture.

The overture, Fidelio, is a fairly light work which introduces the opera, but seems not to contain any thematic relationship to the plot. Leonora 2, however, follows the course of the plot with the trumpet signalling the announcement of the sudden change towards a happy ending.

The Fidelio Overture was performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tamas Pal, while Leonore 2 was performed by the Dresden Phil, conducted by Herbert Kegel.

   

Day 20: Gilbert & Sullivan, Mikado

Day 20: Gilbert & Sullivan, Mikado

Ok, I know, in your book Gilbert and Sullivan doesn’t count as real music – but I love it! I remember when I was a child we used to go to the New Theatre in Cardiff every season that D’Oyly Carte were there and saw at least two productions each time! I have some very fond and vivid memories of those events!

The CD I listened to was actually a compilation CD, that included excerpts from some of the other operas as well as from the Mikado. This was the Pro Arte Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent, and was sung by some famous singers, my favourite of which was Sir Geraint Evans, playing Koko. When we saw those wonderful performances at Cardiff, I admit that John Reed was my absolute favourite: He was a master of the comic part. John Reed died early in 2010 and prompted an article on this blog.

Anyway, I’ve seen the Mikado so many times that I am virtually word-perfect (but I’ve never sung it on stage), so it was a treat to sing along to A Wand’ring Minstrel, Here’s a how-de-do, The flowers that bloom in the Spring, and Tit Willow!