Beethoven’s “problem child”: staging Fidelio

Katrin Röver and Jennifer Davis in Leonore at the Wiener Staatsoper

Georg Zeppenfeld and Tobias Kratzer in rehearsals for Fidelio

By Mark Pullinger, 31 January 2020

Loading, please wait...

“the archaic language is ridiculous also for a German-speaking audience”

Related content

Mark Pullinger, 17th March

The Royal Opera’s Principal Guest Conductor explains her passion for opera, her journey into the pit and how good conductors share the attributes of football managers.

A jack of all trades: Michael Spyres on Vienna, Tristan and Verdi

Chanda VanderHart, 6th March

Chanda VanderHart talks to the American tenor about his Tristan debut at the Met, his love for Vienna and Otto Schenk, and the incredible scope of his repertoire.

Breath and articulation: Sunwook Kim plays Beethoven in Paris

SangKwon Lee, 9th January

Ahead of performances with Insula orchestra in February, the South Korean pianist talks about taking inspiration from Beethoven’s harmony, early pianos, and making musical choices that are maximally persuasive.

The magical world of composers’ handwriting

Lawrence Dunn, 17th December

From Buxtehude, Bach and Handel, to contemporary composer Liza Lim, we take a tour of the myriad forms of composers’ handwriting and calligraphy – and how music makes itself on the page.

Bachtrack top ten: Johann Strauss II in Vienna

Mark Pullinger & Elisabeth Schwarz, 17th October

Take a guided tour in 3/4 time through Vienna as Mark and Elisabeth visit some of the key Strauss locations in the city.

Freedom and flexibility: Lukas Sternath returns to Bamberg Symphony

Frank Kuznik, 15th October

The young Austrian pianist reunites with Jakub Hrůša and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra for a tour this November. He talks about taking inspiration from improvisation, and being an “accidental” artist...

Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.