In May 1979, Sir Georg Solti led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, along with an all-star cast of soloists, in Beethoven’s Fidelio. Following performances in Orchestra Hall and Carnegie Hall, the work was recorded in Chicago’s Medinah Temple by London Records and was, according to a Decca advertisement, the “first opera recording made by the digital process.”
Solti Conducts “Fidelio”
Fidelio recording session with Solti conducting (Photo: Robert Lightfoot)
Playlist
Fidelio, by Ludwig van Beethoven
Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Sir Georg Solti conductor
Hildegard Behrens soprano (Leonore)
Sona Ghazarian soprano (Marzelline)
Peter Hofmann tenor (Florestan)
David Kübler tenor (Jaquino)
Theo Adam baritone (Don Pizarro)
Hans Sotin bass (Rocco)
Gwynne Howell bass (Don Fernando)
Robert Johnson tenor (Prisoner)
Philip Kraus baritone (Prisoner)
Margaret Hillis chorus director
