Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized in Bonn, Germany, on December 17, 1770, and died in Vienna, Austria, on March 26, 1827. The first performance of the Leonore Overture No. 3 took place at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on March 29, 1806, as part of the premiere of the revised version of Fidelio. The Leonore Overture No. 3 is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings. Approximate performance time is fourteen minutes.

Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, occupied a special place in the composer’s heart. In his will, Beethoven said of his beloved work: “before all others I hold it worthy of being possessed and used for the science of art.”

The creation of Fidelio (called Leonore by the composer) was not an easy process. Toward the end of his life, Beethoven confessed to his friend, Anton Schindler: “Of all my children, (Fidelio) is the one that caused me the worst birth-pangs, the one that brought me the most sorrow, and for that reason, it is the most dear to me.” Beethoven composed at least three versions of the opera. The Leonore Overture No. 3 premiered as part of a revised version of the opera, first performed on March 29, 1806.

Beethoven’s Fidelio is based upon a libretto created during the French Revolution by lawyer and writer Jean Nicolas Bouilly. It was a story that greatly appealed to Beethoven, a staunch advocate of democracy and freedom.

Fidelio takes place in 18^th-century Spain. The evil governor Don Pizzaro has imprisoned the nobleman Don Florestan for daring to speak out against his corrupt regime. In an attempt to rescue her husband, Florestan’s wife, Leonore, disguises herself as the young man, Fidelio. This allows Leonore to gain employment at the jail where her husband is imprisoned. When Don Pizzaro learns that the benevolent minister, Don Fernando, is coming to inspect the prison, he vows to kill Florestan, thereby concealing evidence of his wrongdoing. Leonore discovers her husband in a dungeon. She places herself in front of Florestan and holds Pizzaro at bay with her pistol. The sound of trumpets heralds Don Fernando’s arrival. Fernando soon learns of Pizzaro’s misdeeds and orders him imprisoned. Florestan and all the political prisoners are freed, and Leonore is hailed as their savior.

The Leonore Overture No. 3 encapsulates the opera’s narrative.

program notes by Ken Meltzer