Fidelio is Beethoven’s only opera, and was originally titled “Leonore or The Triumph of Marital Love.” After many revisions, the opera established itself as “Fidelio.” Leonore, disguised as a prison guard named Fidelio, rescues her husband Florestan from death in a political prison.

Though he really liked the libretto, Beethoven struggled to compose the opera, and had even more difficulty in writing the overture - he ended up writing four different versions! Every time he revised the opera, he wrote a new overture but was never satisfied enough.

The original overtures are known as “Leonore” no. 1, no. 2, and no. 3, and are still performed on the symphonic stage. The ‘official’ and final overture, used on the operatic stage, is known as “Fidelio” and is what we will hear the orchestra perform. Beethoven started it from scratch, and used no themes of the actual music of the opera for it. It is a compact and energetic piece with a direct impact to the listener due to two contrasting themes, a very rhythmical one and a more lyrical one that alternate until the end, when love triumphs.

by Zoe Zeniodi