ISTANBUL
Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (IDOB) opened its new season with the opera “Fidelio” at Kadıköy Süreyya Opera House.
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Fecir Alptekin, Senior Advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Kadıköy Mayor Şerdil Dara Odabaşı watched the opera which aroused great interest among art lovers.
Speaking at the opening, IDOB Director and Artistic Director Suat Arıkan said, “I want to applaud you, art lovers. Because you didn’t leave us alone tonight, showing your need for art even in a global pandemic situation, when there are obligations like vaccine testing. Because we never stopped during this pandemic time. House concerts, television concerts without an audience, festivals… After taking the necessary precautions, we want to continue the work because we said to ourselves ‘We have hope’ and the theme of this season has become ‘hope’ .
Stating that they will open the curtain this season around 200 times, Arıkan said that they will present operas, ballets, concerts, modern dance and children’s plays at both Kadıköy Süreyya Opera House and the Center Cultural Ataturk (AKM).
In the event, the orchestra took its place on stage in the program as the orchestra pit could not be used due to global pandemic conditions.
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“Fidelio” is the only opera composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Joseph von Sonnleithner’s libretto was later edited by Stephan von Breuning and Georg Friedrich Treitschke.
Inspired by a true story that took place at the time of the French Revolution, the opera was first staged in Vienna in 1805. The work also deals with the concepts of hope, loyalty, justice and freedom.
The opera Fidelio takes place in a prison in Spain in the 18th century. It’s about a woman named Leonore, who disguises herself as a male guard, under the pseudonym of “Fidelio”, in order to save her political rival, Florestan, who is secretly imprisoned by the evil Don Pizarro.
The work, performed in German, was performed by the Istanbul Opera and Ballet Orchestra under the direction of Murat Cem Orhan and the Istanbul Opera and Ballet Chorus under the direction of conductor of Volkan Akkoç choir.
The stage and costume arrangement was prepared by Olcay Engin Kaymaz, the lighting design was prepared by Taner Aydın, and the artwork was edited by Arıkan.
Fidelio Opera will be presented at the Süreyya Opera House of Kadıköy Municipality today and tomorrow.
