Leonard Bernstein considered Fidelio “a timeless monument to love, life and liberty, a celebration of human rights, of freedom to speak out, to dissent. It's a political manifesto against tyranny and oppression.” Beethoven’s only opera – set in Spain – forms the climax of the Palau de la Música Catalana’s celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth next season. The Art Nouveau building, in the beautiful Sant Pere district of Barcelona, houses an auditorium filled with natural light through stunning stained glass. Despite this, a bust of Beethoven glowers over one side of the stage.
Gustavo Dudamel conducts a concert performance of Fidelio, an opera where Leonore assumes a man’s guise (Fidelio) to try and save her husband (Florestan) who is a political prisoner. One of the most moving scenes occurs in Act 1 where Fidelio persuades the gaoler, Rocco, to allow the prisoners out of their cells to enjoy the beautiful weather. When the Orfeó Català, the choir for which the Palau was originally built, sings Beethoven’s great chorus “O welche Lust”, it should be a powerful moment.
The main thrust of the Palau’s Beethoven celebrations, however, is a complete cycle of the nine symphonies where Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. Gardiner was at the forefront of the period instrument revolution which reintroduced gut strings and original instruments, stripping the playing of vibrato and observing the composer’s hotly contested metronome markings. Brusque and brilliant, Gardiner’s Beethoven – five concerts over six days – should draw big audiences.
The oratorio Christus am Ölberge (Christ on the Mount of Olives) is a much less celebrated work by Beethoven, depicting Jesus’ turmoil in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to his crucifixion. It was composed shortly after Beethoven wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament, a letter to his brothers where he despaired over his increasing deafness. The oratorio is one of the works being championed by Sir Simon Rattle next season and he brings the London Symphony Orchestra to Barcelona to team up with the Orfeó Català and fine soloists Elsa Dreisig, Pavol Breslik and David Soar. Rattle pairs the oratorio with Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, a joyous, spirited work which Wagner dubbed “the apotheosis of the dance”.
Beethoven doesn’t have a monopoly on the Palau season though. Blockbuster symphonies feature, courtesy of Esa-Pekka Salonen (Mahler’s Ninth with the Philharmonia) and Alan Gilbert (Bruckner’s Seventh with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester). Not quite on the same epic scale, Dvořák’s Seventh is an altogether sunnier affair. Composed in the wake of hearing of Brahms’ Third, it is a joyous work, full of Czech dance rhythms. It should receive a deluxe performance given it is to be played by the Vienna Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta. They are joined by Dutch star Janine Jansen to perform Brahms’ meaty Violin Concerto.