In 1970, Leonard Bernstein was invited by the Vienna State Opera to prepare a new production of Fidelio for the Beethoven bicentennial. He returned in 1978 to make this recording with an all-star cast featuring Gundula Janowitz in the title role. At the same time, Bernstein was finishing his integral recording of the Beethoven symphonies with the State Opera's pit orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic. It's hardly surprising, then, that this account of Beethoven's only opera conveys such an extraordinary sense of occasion and exhibits a degree of musical cohesion that can only be described as "symphonic." Bernstein is, of course, the biggest star of all here, and he presides over a performance of remarkable strength and dramatic conviction, especially memorable for the emotional intensity of the climactic moments (in particular, Pizzaro's "Ha! Welch ein Augenblick!", the Act I finale, and the Act II quartet). One of the account's most striking features is its insertion of the Leonore Overture No. 3 before the final scene of Act II, honoring a tradition established by Gustav Mahler when he was director of the Vienna Court Opera at the beginning of the 20th century. In Bernstein's hands, this 15-minute interlude becomes an impassioned meditation on the themes of love, courage, and self-sacrifice that lie at the heart of the opera. --Ted Libbey
