Prom 3: (18.07.20) Beethoven’s Leonore 6.30 p.m.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

(From BBC Proms 1996, 16 August)
Beethoven’s only opera is a passionate musical protest against political oppression that also celebrates the power of human love. This performance from 1996 of the opera’s first version (it was later revised as Fidelio) was only its second ever at the Proms, and the first featuring period instruments. Sir John Eliot Gardiner favoured this earlier version of the work, conceived at a time when Beethoven was fired up by the ideals of Napoleon and the social fragmentation of society in the wake of the French Revolution. This performance came soon after the experience of recording all of Beethoven’s symphonies with his Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. The period instruments, he said, gave the music ‘greater transparency of texture, more sharply differentiated character of the instruments and an almost visceral struggle with the musical material.’

Leonore.....Hillevi Martinpelto (soprano)
Florestan.....Kim Begley (tenor)
Rocco.....Franz Hawlata (bass)
Marzelline.....Christiane Oelze (soprano)
Jaquino.....Michael Schade (tenor)
Don Pizarro.....Matthew Best (bass)
Don Fernando.....Geert Smits (baritone)
First Prisoner.....Robert Burt (tenor)
Second Prisoner.....Colin Campbell (baritoner)
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Sir John Eliot Gardiner (conductor)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Saturday’s second Prom.

There are those who prefer this first version of the opera to Fidelio. I don’t count myself amongst them, but it’s fascinating to hear music that the composer discarded or modified.
Thank heavens that it survived to be reassessed.

[Bryn]

Saturday’s second Prom.

There are those who prefer this first version of the opera to Fidelio. I don’t count myself amongst them, but it’s fascinating to hear music that the composer discarded or modified.
Thank heavens that it survived to be reassessed.

Did Beethoven not revise the work at least twice, the first revision, with the assistance of Stephan von Breuning retaining the title "Leonore"? There is certainly a recording of such first revision. There again, did JEG not make his own edition of Leonore, with bits and pieces from Beethoven's later revisions and various changes to the sung text? Indeed, has the original 1805 ever been performed in recent history as Beethoven wrote it?

[edashtav]

Your link, Bryn, claims to be the '1806' version.
Does an earlier, unrecorded 1805 edition exist?

[Bryn]

Your link, Bryn, claims to be the '1806' version.
Does an earlier, unrecorded 1805 edition exist?

As I wrote, that linked to was is a recording of the first revision. Blomstedt, JEG and Jacobs often get credited as having recorded the 1805 version but each chose to further edit the sung text and/or the music. I am not aware of a 'straight' recording of the original.

[edashtav]

I heard most of the first two acts this evening and was engrossed and delighted by the contribution of Gardiner's HIP orchestra. It was stupendous, an eye-opener, and an ear tickler. The whole performance had colour, urgency and revelations aplenty. Before this evening, I've struggled with Beethoven's opera in whatever edition was being interpreted. Some of the singing, in this performance, was marvellous,too, but that component was peripheral for me. What mattered happened in the pit, I was tempted to say, down in the cells. It was a nice touch to engage JEG, himself to listen to, and comment, on his glorious performance. Now, who were we wont to call 'Glorious John'?

[cloughie]

I heard most of the first two acts this evening and was engrossed and delighted by the contribution of Gardiner's HIP orchestra. It was stupendous, an eye-opener, and an ear tickler. The whole performance had colour, urgency and revelations aplenty. Before this evening, I've struggled with Beethoven's opera in whatever edition was being interpreted. Some of the singing, in this performance, was marvellous,too, but that component was peripheral for me. What mattered happened in the pit, I was tempted to say, down in the cells. It was a nice touch to engage JEG, himself to listen to, and comment, on his glorious performance. Now, who were we won't to call 'Glorious John'?

Steady Ed, there’s only one GJ! He’ll have to settle for bing Mega Jeggy!

[Bryn]

I heard most of the first two acts this evening and was engrossed and delighted by the contribution of Gardiner's HIP orchestra. It was stupendous, an eye-opener, and an ear tickler. The whole performance had colour, urgency and revelations aplenty. Before this evening, I've struggled with Beethoven's opera in whatever edition was being interpreted. Some of the singing, in this performance, was marvellous,too, but that component was peripheral for me. What mattered happened in the pit, I was tempted to say, down in the cells. It was a nice touch to engage JEG, himself to listen to, and comment, on his glorious performance. Now, who were we won't to call 'Glorious John'?

Hmm, as with the commercial recording he made, JEG did not perform the 1805 original but incorporated aspects of the later versions and largely scrubbed the spoken text. What he produced may have been a more cogent result but it was very much Beethoven Leonore/Fidelio 1805/1806/1814 ed. JEG.

[edashtav]

Steady Ed, there’s only one GJ! He’ll have to settle for bing Mega Jeggy!

That's a bit close to large pants, cloughie!

[edashtav]

[QUOTE=Bryn;801896]Hmm, as with the commercial recording he made, JEG did not perform the 1805 original but incorporated aspects of the later versions and largely scrubbed the spoken text. What he produced may have been a more cogent result but it was very much Beethoven Leonore/Fidelio 1805/1806/1814 ed. JEG.[/QUOTE/]

A hybrid version, maybe, Bryn. Jeggers' selected lollipops from the pick and mix counter inspired the conductor to perform the work with passion and intensity, two virtues that are necessities if this problematical, moribund work is to be successfully revived. Thank goodness the watery dialogue was reduced to a concentrated narration. Full marks to JEG for having the courage to move musical numbers around to increase their dramatic impact. Glorious work, John!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Steady Ed, there’s only one GJ! He’ll have to settle for bing Mega Jeggy!

Indeed. The title ‘Glorious John’ was bestowed by none other than Ralph Vaughan Williams.

[edashtav]

Indeed. The title ‘Glorious John’ was bestowed by none other than Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Without a nudge from the British Army, RVW might have written 'Glorious Giovanni'.

[Bryn]

Hmm, as with the commercial recording he made, JEG did not perform the 1805 original but incorporated aspects of the later versions and largely scrubbed the spoken text. What he produced may have been a more cogent result but it was very much Beethoven Leonore/Fidelio 1805/1806/1814 ed. JEG.[/QUOTE/]

A hybrid version, maybe, Bryn. Jeggers' selected lollipops from the pick and mix counter inspired the conductor to perform the work with passion and intensity, two virtues that are necessities if this problematical, moribund work is to be successfully revived. Thank goodness the watery dialogue was reduced to a concentrated narration. Full marks to JEG for having the courage to move musical numbers around to increase their dramatic impact. Glorious work, John!

My point was that the performance was promoted as being of the original version, i.e. the 1805. Blomstedt's recording dropped the spoken text but was, IIRC. otherwise the 1805. Sadly, the Soustrot recording of the 1806 revision is not a particularly recommendable performance, though it does offer some idea of the stages of revision Beethoven went through. The Blomstedt, which I originally heard in its LP manifestation, is to be found in both the Brilliant Classics and Warner 'complete' boxed sets of Beethoven. Each company licenced some recording from the other, plus several other sources.

[edashtav]

My point was that the performance was promoted as being of the original version, i.e. the 1805. Blomstedt's recording dropped the spoken text but was, IIRC. otherwise the 1805. Sadly, the Soustrot recording of the 1806 revision is not a particularly recommendable performance, though it does offer some idea of the stages of revision Beethoven went through. The Blomstedt, which I originally heard in its LP manifestation, is to be found in both the Brilliant Classics and Warner 'complete' boxed sets of Beethoven. Each company licenced some recording from the other, plus several other sources.

Yes, I take your point: promotion by Arkiv and BBC was deceitful, Bryn.

[bluestateprommer]

Another one for the 'finally caught up with' list, well after the formal season opening 2 months (!) ago (and with the hard deadline of ~Oct. 11 or thereabouts looming for all of this summer's archival relays). Turned out to be well worth the listen, very refreshing to hear this reading of Leonore, where I had initially wondered about hearing just the music (including the one melodrama moment, No. 14a as given in the Rene Jacobs recording [obviously not exactly corresponding to what Sir JEG did here, but close enough]) alone, w/o the dialogue. In the event, the music alone was more than sufficient aural feast. Even if Martin Handley was buttering up JEG in the interval chat by saying that he didn't miss the dialogue, MH had a point, as I found myself not missing the dialogue much either, as much as the dialogue, however "meh" it was (per Gardiner), does fill out details of the story.

It was also interesting to hear the idea from Gardiner that Beethoven intended Leonore as something of a counter-blast to Cosi fan tutte, in its perspective on conjugal relations as being diametrically opposed to Mozart and da Ponte. Of course, WAM and LdP had more experience with women compared to LvB, so that probably had something to do with their opera vs. his.

In terms of presenters, the presentation of Susan Sharpe would look to be in the category of "those were the days" (I know nothing about past presenters, of course), in terms of her calm and even-headed manner in discussing the synopsis and announcing the cast after Act III.