Beethoven is a beacon of hope to many; he showed us that despite being deaf for more than half of his life, he could still flourish at what he loved.
In hopes of creating systemic change within the art world, LA Phil has decided to produce Fidelio, a show that celebrates Beethoven’s music with deaf and hearing audiences in mind.
Fidelio is one of Beethoven’s most powerful pieces since he was already starting to lose his hearing when he created this emotional masterpiece. The show, presented by Los Angeles Philharmonic Music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel, will take place on April 14 through 16 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It will be in partnership with the Tony-award-winning Deaf West Theatre, marking it as the first performance of Fidelio by both deaf and hearing performers since its creation in 1805.
Throughout the opera, there will be the integration of expressive gestural poetry of American Sign Language that will embody the story of how oppression does not need to hold you back in life. The incorporation of ASL, a visual language, calls upon the art of movement and poetry that brings music alive in a new and exciting way. The convergence of the performing arts and Deaf communities created an innovative performance like never before.
“Rarely do the opera houses and concert halls throughout the world open their doors to the Deaf community. Together with the LA Phil, we have been able to create an experience that brings new facets of music to Deaf and hearing audiences. Fidelio is Deaf West Theatre’s first opera and in thinking about the production we kept returning to the fact that for the Deaf community, music transcends sound.” said DJ Kurs, artistic director of Deaf West Theatre.
There is something special in LA Phil’s adaptation of Fidelio, a remembrance of what it means to be a community again after a time when we were so alone. To experience this event for yourself, make sure to purchase your tickets on LA Phil’s website before they sell out.