^{Picture: BBC/Mark Hamilton}

It may be Beethoven’s only opera, but Fidelio packs as powerful a punch today as when it was fresh off the page in 1814. More accurately, that should be several pages, as Beethoven wrote and rewrote the opera extensively before settling on the version which Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Voices will perform at the Usher Hall, with Jennifer Davis and Clay Hilley in the main roles, and Donald Runnicles conducting.

It was not an easy commission for Beethoven. ‘Of all my children, this is the one that caused me the most painful birth pangs and the most sorrows,’ he said at the time. Its plot, allegedly based on a true story from the French Revolution, tells of the unfailing love of Leonore for her husband Florestan. He is a political prisoner facing death and she disguises herself as a young male prison officer, Fidelio, in order to rescue him. ‘I think part of the timeless appeal of this opera is that it is always relevant,’ says Runnicles. ‘Every performance that has ever been heard has doubtless been in a time of war or strife, suppression, persecution and violation of human rights. At its very core, it’s a timeless struggle against oppression and a very compelling and inspiring story.’

Against all the odds, Leonore saves her husband and love triumphs. ‘It’s a journey from darkness to light,’ says Runnicles, ‘and a metaphor for the last two years with the pandemic. Although it’s not over yet, we are emerging from that darkness into light.’ Performed as a concert, this Fidelio is all about the music. ‘A concert performance can enhance the audience focus, whether that’s on the music, the performers or the text,’ adds Runnicles. ‘The music is paramount. And the greatest theatre known to us is our imagination. Each and every person can take the story and create the image in their minds of what that prison would look like.’

Music Director of Deutsche Oper Berlin and a highly renowned opera conductor, Runnicles has conducted staged performances of Fidelio many times. ‘But you’re that bit closer to the music in a concert performance,’ he says. ‘The orchestra can be seen, front and centre, rather than in a pit. You see how the music moves around, how players interact with each other and with the conductor. It’s a great joy for me that the International Festival has put this together.’

Fidelio, Usher Hall, 10 August, 7.30pm.