Wahre Liebe fuerchtet nicht!

True Love knows no fear! Fidelio - finally seen at HGO today.
And it was a tour de force by Karita Mattila, Kristinn Sigmundsson and Simon O'Neil.
Mattila did the role of Leonore=Fidelio great justice.
She sang with conviction, a vocal force with strong expression, but also lyrical softness when called for and beautifully enunciated German.

She was the most loyal wife in search of her missing husband.
Who was sung with steely clarity in good German by Tenor Simon O'Neil.

When he sang GOD! - spinning it out for ever, or so it seemed - at the first moments of the second part shivers crept down my spine!

Rocco, sung by  Kristinn Sigmundsson I truly liked very much. His voice rang out powerfully with the best German pronunciation of them all. IMO.  Unfortunately no video clips of him as Rocco.. but here as Dr. Basilio his rich bass shines.

Tomas Tomasson's baritone seemed a bit forced as Don Pizarro. But he coped well to garner boos from the audience - not for his singing but for the kind of character he portrayed, rather effectively.

Soprano Brittany Wheeler (*) successfully sang Marcelline.. her German was very good as well.
And Bass Baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the Minister Don Fernando, Tenor Norman Reinhard (+)as Jaquino  gave good accounts for themselves.
Tenor Brendan Touhy (*) sang the First Prisoner with a bell like tenor while Mark Diamond's (*) suave baritone as Second Prisoner seemed a bit drowned out by the swell of the orchestra.
Which was conducted by Michael Hofstetter (Beatrice and Benedict - you may remember his conducting of that opera) in quite a suitable manner given that much is more symphonic than most operas.
The horns were superb.

Wagner may have borrowed from Beethoven in HIS use of horns and other wind instruments.
And he could not have paid as stronger compliment to the genius that was Ludwig Van Beethoven.
(*) current studio members, (+) former studio member.
Staging was stark, effective, with tiers. Costumes updated to a non-specific modern time somewhere!
Prisoner chorus (clip below) well rehearsed by Richard Bado, HGO's Chorus master

Meanwhile at the Toyota Center the Houston Aeros have 5 goals  vs. Charlotte Checkers with 2 goals.

Aeros scored 2 in the First, 2 in the Second. 1 in Third/

SOG's by the Aeros have diminished from 12, 10 to 5

DiSalvatore with 2 goals.

Ortmeyer 1 goal.

Wellman scores an empty net PP goal!

Other AHL Action:

Rampage win vs Texas 3-2 (stopping a long loosing streak).

Hamilton 5 - Binghamton 2

Whale 3 - St. John's 4

Providence 3-Worcester 2 (Anton Khudobin stopping 47 of 49 SoGs)

Toronto 4 - Albany 3

Bridgeport 4 - Hershey 3

 OKC 2 - Milwaukee 3