Running time approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.

Sung in German with surtitles in English and Welsh

Pre-performance talks at 6.15pm except Friday 17 September at 5.30pm & 6.15pm.

To find out more about the audio described performance click here. or listen to the audio introduction to Fidelio

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This production originated at Opéra de Bordeaux

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Don Pizarro, governor of a state jail, holds Florestan secretly imprisoned on political grounds. Florestan’s wife Leonore suspects he is somewhere inside this prison. Determined to rescue him she has disguised herself as a man, taken the name Fidelio, and is now helping the head jailer Rocco in his work. Rocco’s daughter Marzelline has fallen in love with Fidelio.

Act 1
Marzelline rejects Jaquino’s attempts to woo her and looks forward to married life with Fidelio. Leonore is torn between her false position in Rocco’s household and her determination to find and save her husband. Rocco approves of the relationship between his daughter and Fidelio but reminds them that a happy household needs money as well as love. Fidelio persuades Rocco to let her help him when he goes down to the underground cells where the political prisoners are held. Rocco agrees: but there is one prisoner whom Fidelio will never be allowed to see, whose meagre rations have recently been further reduced. Marzelline begs her father not to take Fidelio, who is disturbed by Rocco’s description, but Fidelio is resolute. Rocco decides he will ask Pizarro today to allow Fidelio to help him on his rounds and to marry his daughter.

Pizarro and his soldiers enter. He learns from a letter that the Minister has heard of his abuse of power and is coming to investigate his prison. Pizarro seizes on the one solution – to murder Florestan. Pizarro orders a lookout to the tower. As soon as the Minister’s carriage is sighted a warning trumpet call will be sounded. He offers Rocco a bribe to kill ‘the wretched criminal’ (Florestan) but the jailer refuses to countenance murder. However, his conscience will allow him to prepare the prisoner’s grave. The Governor will go down to murder his victim when Rocco gives the signal that all is ready.

Fidelio has observed Pizarro’s rage and wonders what it is aimed at. She appeals to hope to inspire her. She is determined to succeed, putting her faith in love and freedom. She persuades Rocco to let the prisoners out into the courtyard. Rocco goes to keep Pizarro out of the way. The prisoners enjoy their moment of freedom in the open air. Believing that God is fighting for them, that freedom will return, they must still restrain their comments, since there are spies all around.

Rocco returns with the news that the Governor will allow Fidelio to marry Marzelline and help Rocco ‘down below’. Fidelio can barely hide her anguish at the thought of digging a grave for the man who may be her husband. One of the guards has told Pizarro that the prisoners have been let out. In attempting to justify his actions to the furious Governor, Rocco suddenly remembers that it is the King’s birthday. Ordered back to their cells, the prisoners look longingly at the sunlight.

INTERVAL