Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...But "Fidelio" is, nonetheless, a highly compelling experience. One is, after all, listening to Beethoven. Moreover, van den Heever is a formidable star, face set and hair hidden away under her security guard's uniform but a moral and vocal force unto and of herself. Fans of Thomas hardly will be surprised by his resonance and gravitas and Mulligan strides around, Midwestern governor-like, singing the tune that the nervous oppressor invariably sings, his vocal performance aptly shot through with contrasting timbers of force and insecurity."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Given the composer's lifelong advocacy for the best that humanity has to offer, it was hardly a surprise that the resulting work, titled "Fidelio" and derived from a French libretto by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, is about hope and freedom triumphing over pain and persecution."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"..."Fidelio" is the only opera Ludwig van Beethoven composed music for, and for that reason alone, it would have a place in history. It's also an outstanding example of Beethoven's ability to make the heart soar through the right interpreters and was an important landmark for female protagonists onstage when its climax surprised and thrilled audiences in 1805."
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...The Lyric Opera of Chicago continues its 50th season with Beethoven's Fidelio, an opera not often staged in the repertoire of great opera houses. Perhaps it is the political tone and rebellion against tyranny and greed, but Fidelio can be set in any era of political upheaval. 2024 has been a rough year in terms of politics and tyranny, with ideology and religion used as battering rams. The Lyric Opera's stirring and powerful staging of Fidelio plays through October 10.. It is a short run but worth seeing and hearing Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera."
Splash Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is absolutely superb. The opera, Beethoven’s only foray into the genre, is renowned for its themes of justice, liberty, and the power of love. This production, conducted by the brilliant Enrique Mazzola, showcases the full depth of Beethoven’s genius, blending moments of intense emotion with orchestral brilliance all in support of a talented group of singers bringing the story to life. And it really, really makes you wish Beethoven had written more operas."
NewCity Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Ozawa’s “Fidelio” was commissioned by San Francisco Opera for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth that also coincided with the 2020 election. It became a casualty of the pandemic but finally premiered in 2021. Its Lyric Opera premiere occurring during the 2024 election puts even greater spotlight on the issue of tyranny versus freedom so emphasized by Beethoven. In fact, “Fidelio” can hardly be mentioned without political protest performances of it coming to mind."
