Fidelio 29 March 2011 to 16 April 2011 (Calendar) Main Stage Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes | 1 Interval Sung in German with English surtitles NEXT 6 PERFORMANCES Tue 29 Mar 2011, 7:30 PM Fri 1 Apr 2011, 7:30 PM Tue 5 Apr 2011, 7:30 PM Sat 9 Apr 2011, 7:30 PM Mon 11 Apr 2011, 7:30 PM Sat 16 Apr 2011, 7:00 PM Background Beethoven’s only opera is a glorious work that exalts the light of liberty and humanity over the darkness of tyranny and oppression, portrayed in an impassioned score with a wealth of power and beauty. This revival of Jürgen Flimm’s penetrating production has superb singers in two of the most demanding leading roles in the opera repertory, demanding virtuoso skill and profound characterization. For her appearance in last Season’s Tristan und Isolde, Nina Stemme won an Olivier award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera – just one of the Swedish soprano’s many international accolades. This Season she appears with The Royal Opera for the first time as Leonore, who is determined to do anything she can to find her husband, Florestan. He has been secretly imprisoned for his political views, and is once again played by Endrik Wottrich – the Act II opening in a subterranean cell is a famous tenor tour de force as Florestan’s despair at injustice and imprisonment turn to hope of rescue by his wife. This is a work of great dramatic and musical intensity, with such famous numbers as the Prisoner’s Chorus, the Act I quartet and the final chorus of triumphant joy. Kirill Petrenko conducts a wonderful cast, the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in Beethoven’s great opera.