It's a good thing for posterity that Beethoven did not throw up his hands at the failure of "Leonore" and leave it at that. The best way to appreciate how he improved "Leonore" into "Fidelio" is to listen to this English-language performance from the Beethoven bicentennial year. Compared to its radically revised successor, "Fidelio" is garrulous, musically overloaded (including a second revenge aria for Pizarro) and fatuous in tone. The cast's exemplary English diction makes the latter point clear. Mackerras' singers, led by Pauline Tinsley, are splendid across the board, with Norman Bailey making a capital villain. A young Robert Lloyd doubles as Second Prisoner and Don Fernando, effectively liberating himself in the final scene. Well played, Sir Charles.

It's 5 Star from me - really clear with excellent sound. Not one of my favourite operas but I'm a Tinsley fan and had not heard this performance before. Great to hear her before she became such a thrilling Elektra.

Ludwig van Beethoven's opera "Leonore" (in English) performed by some of the greatest British operatic singers and artists is a treat... A must! Strongly recommended!

The recording was recessed. Hard to hear.

I had often wondered about "Leonore" and took the plunge attracted by the combination of Tinsley and Mackerras. What a wonderful surprise! The work is great, punchy and dramatic, and not at all the poor relation of "Fidelio". The recording quality is superb, and the cast uniformly good. Tinsley gets the opportunity to give us some elaborate coloratura work, all written in Beethoven's anti-vocal instrumental style, and she performs with typical panache, remarkable for a performer who was my first Salome, Elektra, Turandot, Dyer's Wife, Abigaille, and Lady Macbeth. Of all my many purchases since I was fortunate enough to discover Opera Depot last year (every one of them terrific) this has been the most pleasurable surprise. Recommended without any hesitation.

Beethoven's "Leonore" was not well-received at its first performance and one can hear why. The arias are sprawling and overlong, the finales overcooked with too many false climaxes. The composer doesn't seem to know when enough is enough in this version. To Beethoven's enormous credit, he took note of the flaws and fixed them. The score was tightened up, the arias made more of a piece, the finales of both acts strengthened and made more feasible.This performance is excellent and should be heard by any lover of Beethoven or of fine singing. Mackerras makes as strong a case for the original as can be had. Tinsley is phenomenal. She unfailingly responds to Beethoven's cruel, sometimes ridiculous demands. She sails up to the two sustained C's in her duet with Florestan without batting an eye and handily dispatches the coloratura the Beethoven would shorten in his revision. Beresford and Garrard bring not only strong voices, but believable character to their roles. Baldwin is a charming Marzelline, Bailey a frightening Pizarro. The chorus and orchestra also perform very well.The English translation can be clearly understood much of the time. It is a little old-fashioned, but so is the opera. The dialogue is also employed, helping to connect the musical numbers. I so much prefer that to a narrator or, even worse, nothing at all. The sound is excellent too. Listen to this for yourself and make up your own mind about this early version of "Fidelio". You won't regret it!

The sound was brilliant,the performance was brilliant.It makes a change to listen to Beethovens first thouhjts on Fidelio,it is more florid,but you can still tell it is Fidelio,all the cast are wonderful,and Mackerras conducts with verve and passion-a wonderful night!

Eine interessante Aufnahme in guter Qualität in englischer Sprache. Ein gutes Sänger Team wobei es eine der ersten Opern für Hugh Beresford wo er den Tenorpart singt. Seine ursprüngliche Stimmlage war Bariton

What an evening this must have been. The cast throw themselves into the piece with abandon and with Mackerras in charge it's a thrilling performance. I always loved Pauline Tinsley's singing and she does not disappoint, with heroic sound plus the necessary agility for the title role. No weak links in the cast and all in good sound.

In Hollywood parlance, Beethoven's Fidelio was a remake of this earlier opera. However, there are such significant differences that Leonore can stand on its own as discrete create. The variants are both subtle (different harmonies in otherwise familiar music) and great (no Ascheulischer! or In des Lebens Frühlingstagen, a different overture), and both Rocco and Don Pizzaro get an extra aria apiece. There's also a Fidelio/Marzelline duet that prefaces O welche ****. In this Sadlers Wells revival, Sir Charles Mackerras makes the best possible case for Beethoven's early version and the cast is capable across the board -- and Norman Bailey's Pizarro and Pauline Tinsley's Leonore are considerably more than that. As Don Fernando and Second Prisoner, young Robert Lloyd is both liberator and captive. The sound is good broadcast mono and you can make out every word ... a mixed blessing, as much of the translation is pure doggerel, though not so much so as to ruin one's pleasure.