# Fidelio discography

This is a partial discography of Fidelio, a Singspiel in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven had originally written a three-act version of the opera called Leonore, first performed in 1805 and then re-staged with revisions in 1806. Despite the name change, the heroine is the title character in both cases. Leonore disguises herself as a boy, Fidelio, in order to find out what has happened to her husband, Florestan, who is being illegally held by Pizarro, a prison governor. The other major characters are the gaoler Rocco and his daughter Marzelline.

## Audio

| Year | Leonore Florestan Pizarro Rocco Marzelline | Conductor, Opera house and orchestra | Label |
| 1936 | Lotte Lehmann Koloman von Pataky Alfred Jerger Anton Baumann Luise Helletsgruber | Arturo Toscanini Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus (recorded act one only on 25 July at Salzburg Festival) | CD: The Radio Years Cat: RY 70 |
| 1938 | Kirsten Flagstad René Maison Friedrich Schorr Emanuel List Marita Farell | Artur Bodanzky Metropolitan Opera orchestra & chorus | CD: Naxos Historical Cat: |
| 1943 | Hilde Konetzni Torsten Ralf Paul Schöffler Herbert Alsen Irmgard Seefried | Karl Böhm Vienna State Opera orchestra & chorus | LP: Vox Cat: Andante Cat: 3090 |
| 1944 | Rose Bampton Jan Peerce Herbert Janssen Sid Belarsky Eleanor Steber | Arturo Toscanini NBC Symphony Orchestra & chorus | LP: RCA Victor Cat: LM-6025 CD: RCA Victor Cat: 60273 |
| 1948 | Erna Schlüter Julius Patzak Ferdinand Frantz Herbert Alsen Lisa Della Casa | Wilhelm Furtwängler Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus | CD: Melodram Cat: CDM 25009 |
| 1948 | Anna Bathy Endre Rösler Oszkár Maleczky Mihály Székely Mária Mátyás | Otto Klemperer Hungarian State Opera orchestra & chorus (sung in Hungarian) | CD: Urania Cat: URN 22246 |
| 1950 | Kirsten Flagstad Julius Patzak Paul Schöffler Josef Greindl Elisabeth Schwarzkopf | Wilhelm Furtwängler Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus (recorded on 5 August at Salzburg Festival) | CD: Regis Records Ltd Cat: RRC2048 |
| 1953 | Martha Mödl Wolfgang Windgassen Otto Edelmann Gottlob Frick Sena Jurinac | Wilhelm Furtwängler Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus | CD: EMI Cat: 64496 |
| 1956 | Birgit Nilsson Hans Hopf Paul Schöffler Gottlob Frick Ingeborg Wenglor | Erich Kleiber WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne WDR Rundfunkchor Köln | CD: Opera d'Oro Cat: OPD 1332 |
| 1957 | Leonie Rysanek Ernst Haefliger Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Gottlob Frick Irmgard Seefried | Ferenc Fricsay Bavarian State Opera orchestra & chorus | CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: DG 453106-2 |
| 1957 | Gladys Kuchta Julius Patzak Heinz Rehfuss Karl Kümmel Melitta Muszely | Carl Bamberger NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra & chorus | CD: Nonesuch Records Cat: |
| 1957 | Christel Goltz Giuseppe Zampieri Paul Schöffler Otto Edelmann Sena Jurinac | Herbert von Karajan Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus | CD: Orfeo Cat: C 7710821 |
| 1958 | Gré Brouwenstijn Hans Hopf Paul Schöffler Arnold van Mill Olga Chelavine | Thomas Beecham Teatro Colón orchestra & chorus | CD: Legato Classics Cat: LCD 226-2 |
| 1960 | Galina Vishnevskaya Georgii Nelepp Aleksey Petrovich Ivanov Nikolai Shchelgolkov Irina Maslennikova | Alexander Melik-Pashayev Bolshoi Theatre orchestra & chorus | CD: Audio Encyclopedia Cat: AE 207 |
| 1961 | Sena Jurinac Jan Peerce Gustav Neidlinger Dezső Ernster Maria Stader | Hans Knappertsbusch Bavarian State Opera orchestra & chorus | CD: Westminster Cat: 471 204-2 |
| 1961 | Sena Jurinac Jon Vickers Hans Hotter Gottlob Frick Elsie Morrison | Otto Klemperer Royal Opera House orchestra & chorus | CD: Testament Cat: SBT2 1328 |
| 1962 | Christa Ludwig Jon Vickers Walter Berry Gottlob Frick Ingeborg Hallstein | Otto Klemperer Philharmonia Orchestra Philharmonia Chorus | CD: EMI Cat: 67361 |
| 1962 | Christa Ludwig Jon Vickers Walter Berry Walter Kreppel Gundula Janowitz | Herbert von Karajan Vienna State Opera orchestra & chorus | CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 477 7364 |
| 1963 | Christa Ludwig James King Gustav Neidlinger Josef Greindl Lisa Otto | Karl Böhm Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra & chorus | CD: Canyon Classics Cat: PCCL 00060 |
| 1964 | Birgit Nilsson James McCracken Tom Krause Kurt Böhme Graziella Sciutti | Lorin Maazel Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus | CD: Decca Cat: 448104 |
| 1969 | Christa Ludwig James King Ingvar Wixell Franz Crass Edith Mathis | Karl Böhm Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus (recorded at Salzburg Festival) | CD: Opera d’Oro Cat: 1380 |
| 1969 | Gwyneth Jones James King Theo Adam Franz Crass Edith Mathis | Karl Böhm Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra & chorus | CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: DG 477 5584 |
| 1970 | Gwyneth Jones James King Theo Adam Franz Crass Lucia Popp | Leonard Bernstein Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus | CD: Opera Depot Cat: OD 10175-2 |
| 1970 | Helga Dernesch Jon Vickers Zoltan Kelemen Karl Ridderbusch Helen Donath | Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic Deutsche Oper Berlin chorus | CD: EMI Cat: CMS 7 69290-2 |
| 1970 | Ingrid Bjoner Jon Vickers Gustav Neidlinger Franz Crass Renate Holm | Ferdinand Leitner Teatro Colón orchestra & chorus (recorded on 11 September) | CD: Operadepot.com Cat: |
| 1976 | Teresa Kubiak Jon Vickers Richard Van Allan Donald Gramm Magdelena Falewicz | Sarah Caldwell Boston Grand Opera House orchestra & chorus Harvard Glee Club | CD: VAI Cat: VAIA 1222-2 |
| 1978 | Gundula Janowitz René Kollo Hans Sotin Manfred Jungwirth Lucia Popp | Leonard Bernstein Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus | CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 526702 |
| 1978 | Hildegard Behrens James King Donald McIntyre Kurt Moll Lucia Popp | Karl Böhm Bavarian State Opera orchestra & chorus | CD: Premiere Opera Ltd Cat: CDNO 1142-2 |
| 1979 | Hildegard Behrens Peter Hofmann Theo Adam Hans Sotin Sonia Ghazarian | Georg Solti Chicago Symphony Orchestra & chorus | CD: Decca Records Cat: 410227 |
| 1982 | Jeannine Altmeyer Siegfried Jerusalem Siegmund Nimsgern Peter Meven Carola Nossek | Kurt Masur Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra & chorus | CD: Eurodisc Cat: GK 69030 |
| 1989 | Jessye Norman Reiner Goldberg Ekkehard Wlaschiha Kurt Moll Pamela Coburn | Bernard Haitink Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra & chorus | CD: Philips Cat: 426308 |
| 1990 | Gabriele Schnaut Josef Protschka Hartmut Welker Kurt Rydl Ruth Ziesak | Christoph von Dohnányi Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Vienna State Opera chorus | CD: Decca Cat: 436627 |
| 1994 | Charlotte Margiono Peter Seiffert Sergei Leiferkus László Polgár Barbara Bonney | Nikolaus Harnoncourt Chamber Orchestra of Europe Arnold Schoenberg Choir | CD: Teldec Cat: 994560 |
| 1995 | Deborah Voigt Ben Heppner Günter von Kannen Matthias Hölle Elisabeth Norberg-Schulz | Colin Davis Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & chorus | CD: BMG-RCA Victor Cat: 09026 68344-2 |
| 1997 | Gabriela Beňačková Anthony Rolfe Johnson Franz-Josef Kapellmann Siegfried Vogel Ildiko Vogel | Charles Mackerras Scottish Chamber Orchestra Edinburgh Festival chorus | CD: Teldarc Cat: 80439 |
| 1999 | Inga Nielsen Gösta Winbergh Alan Titus Kurt Moll Edith Lienbacher | Michael Halász Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia Hungarian Radio Chorus | CD: Naxos Cat: 8.660070-71 |
| 1999 | Waltraud Meier Plácido Domingo Falk Struckmann René Pape Soile Isokoski | Daniel Barenboim Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra Deutsche Oper Berlin chorus | CD: Teldec Cat: 3984 25249-2 |
| 2003 | Angela Denoke Jon Villars Alan Held László Polgár Juliane Banse | Simon Rattle Berlin Philharmonic orchestra Arnold Schoenberg choir | CD: EMI Cat: 0724355755520 |
| 2006 | Christine Brewer John MacMaster Juha Uusitalo Kristinn Sigmundsson Sally Matthews | Colin Davis London Symphony Orchestra & chorus | CD: LSO Live Cat: 0593 |
| 2011 | Nina Stemme Jonas Kaufmann Falk Struckmann Christof Fischesser Rachel Harnisch | Claudio Abbado Lucerne Festival orchestra Arnold Schoenberg choir | CD: Decca Cat: 0289 478 2551 7 |

## Video

| Year | Cast (Fidelio/Leonore Florestan, Pizarro Rocco, Marzelline) | Conductor, Opera house and orchestra | Label |
| 1963 | Christa Ludwig James King Walter Berry Josef Greindl Lisa Otto | Artur Rother Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra and chorus | DVD: Encore Cat: 2009 |
| 1963 | Christa Ludwig James King Gustav Neidlinger Josef Greindl Lisa Otto | Karl Böhm Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra and chorus | DVD: House of Opera Cat: DVDM 299 |
| 1969 | Anja Silja Richard Cassilly Theo Adam Hans Sotin Lucia Popp | Leopold Ludwig Hamburg State Opera orchestra and chorus | DVD: ArtHaus Musik Cat: 101 275 |
| 1970 | Gwyneth Jones James King Gustav Neidlinger Josef Greindl Olivera Miljaković | Karl Böhm Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra and chorus | DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 073 4438 |
| 1977 | Gundula Janowitz Jon Vickers Theo Adam William Wilderman Stella Richmond | Zubin Mehta Israel Philharmonic Orchestra & chorus (recorded at Chorégies d'Orange) | DVD: Better Opera Cat: OMD 005 |
| 1978 | Gundula Janowitz René Kollo Hans Sotin Manfred Jungwirth Lucia Popp | Leonard Bernstein Vienna State Opera orchestra and chorus | DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 073 4159 |
| 1980 | Elisabeth Söderström Anton De Ridder Robert Allman Curt Appelgren Elizabeth Gale | Bernard Haitink London Philharmonic Orchestra Glyndebourne Festival chorus (recorded on 13 January) | DVD: ArtHaus Musik Cat: 101 099 |
| 1989 | Elizabeth Connell Thomas Moser Siegmund Nimsgern Hans Tschammer Stella Kleindienst | Jeffrey Tate Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Grand Théâtre de Genève chorus | VHS: Lyric Distribution Incorporated Cat: 8197 |
| 1990 | Gabriela Beňačková Josef Protschka Monte Pederson Robert Lloyd Marie McLaughlin | Christoph von Dohnányi Royal Opera House orchestra and chorus | DVD: ArtHaus Musik Cat: 100 075 |
| 2000 | Karita Mattila Ben Heppner Falk Struckmann René Pape Jennifer Welch | James Levine Metropolitan Opera orchestra and chorus | DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 073 052-9 |
| 2004 | Camilla Nylund Jonas Kaufmann Alfred Muff László Polgár Elizabeth Rae Magnuson | Nikolaus Harnoncourt Zürich Opera orchestra and chorus (recorded on 15 February) | DVD: TDK Cat: DV-OPFID (Europe) Cat: DVUS-OPFID (US) Blu-ray: ArtHaus Musik Cat: 109224 |
| 2020 | Lise Davidsen David Butt Philip Simon Neil Georg Zeppenfeld Amanda Forsythe | Antonio Pappano Royal Opera House orchestra and chorus (Stage director: Tobias Kratzer; recorded live, 13 March) | Blu-ray: Opus Arte Cat: OABD7288D |

## Audio (1805 version)

This is a partial discography of Leonore, the 1805 original three-act version of the two-act opera Fidelio.
| Year | Cast (Fidelio/Leonore Florestan, Pizarro Rocco, Marzelline) | Conductor, Opera house and orchestra | Label |
| 1960 | Hilde Zadek Anton Dermota Alfred Pfeifel Paul Schöffler Gerda Schreyer | Ferdinand Leitner Vienna Philharmonic orchestra Bregenzer Festspiele chorus | CD: Opera D'Oro Cat: OPD 1210 |
| 1976 | Edda Moser Richard Cassilly Karl Ridderbusch Theo Adam Helen Donath | Herbert Blomstedt Staatskapelle Dresden Leipzig Radio chorus | CD: Berlin Classics Cat: 11402BC |
| 1997 | Hillevi Martinpelto Kim Begley Matthew Best Franz Hawlata Christiane Oelze | John Eliot Gardiner Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique Monteverdi Choir | CD: Archiv Cat: 0453 461-2 |
| 2019 | Marlis Petersen Robin Johannseney Maximilian Schmitt Johannes Weisser Dimitry Ivaschenko | René Jacobs Freiburger Barockorchester Zürcher Sing-Akademie | CD: Harmonia Mundi France Cat: HMM 902414.15 |

## Audio (1806 version)

This is a discography of Leonore, the 1806 version of the two-act opera Fidelio.
| Year | Cast (Fidelio/Leonore, Florestan, Pizarro, Rocco, Marzelline) | Conductor, Opera house and orchestra | Label |
| 1998 | Pamela Coburn Mark Baker Philippe Lafont Victor von Halem Christine Barbaux | Marc Soustrot Beethoven Orchester Bonn WDR Rundfunkchor Köln | CD: MDG Cat: MDG3370826 |