Fidelio

While handwritten passages from the Heiligenstadt Testament are faded in to the sounds of the overture, the lackeys of a tyrannical governor ride into a small town. Popular hero Don Florestan once dared to rebel, but now he has disappeared, as has his wife Leonore. The clues lead to a prison complex ... Felsenstein's film adaptation clearly emphasises the socio-political contemporary relevance of the material.
(Florian Widegger)