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Fidelio

however was not ready until the second performance. A vocal score prepared by appeared in 1814; no full score was published until 1826. The most famous of 19th-century singers to achieve success with was Wllhelmine Schroder-Devrient, whose performances as Leonore starting in 1822 {Leonore, oder Der Triumph der ehelichen exerted a powerful effect on a younger generation of ^eonore, or The Triumph of Married Love')]. musicians (for illustration see SCHRODER-DEVRIENT, Opera in two (originally three) acts by LUDWIG VAN WILHELMINE). The complicated genesis of the opera was to a by VON SONNLEITHNER discussed by Otto Jahn, Alexander Thayer and Gustav (1805), with revisions by STEPHAN VON BREUNING Nottebohm in the 1860s and 70s, but a revival of the (1806) and GEORG FRIEDRICH TREITSCHKE (1814), after first version was not attempted until 1905, on the JEAN-NICOLAS BouiLLY's French libretto Leonore, ou centenary of the premiere. There have been many L'amour conjugal; Vienna, , 20 modern recordings of the final version, perhaps most November 1805 (first version); Theater an der Wien, 29 famously with in the role of Florestan. The March 1806 (second version); Karntnertortheater, 23 first version has also been recorded. May 1814 (final version). At some time in the early part of 1803 Beethoven A courtyard of the prison Marzelline is, moved into an apartment in the Theater an der Wien presses her on the subject of marriage and began work on his first opera; the libretto was (duet, 'Jetzt, Schatzchen'). She rejects his pleas, for she , by the theatre's director Emanuel has fallen in love with Fidelio, her father's new assistant Schikaneder. By January 1804 he had abandoned this ('O war ich schon mit dir vereint'). Rocco enters; project and taken up a new libretto, Leonore, ou Leonore, in her disguise as Fidelio, follows, laden with chains and supplies. Rocco takes Fidelio's hard work as a sign of interest in Marzelline (quartet in canon, led by Florestan a prisoner Marzelline, 'Mir ist so wunderbar!'; Fidelio and Jaquino Leonore his wife and assistant to Rocco under express anxious thoughts). Rocco encourages the the name of Fidelio soprano romance, but cautions that a successful marriage Rocco gaoler requires money ('Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben'). Marzelline his daughter soprano Fidelio tests Rocco's trust by asking to accompany him Jaquino assistant to Rocco tenor to the subterranean cell where a prisoner is kept who she Don Pizarro governor of a state prison bass- suspects may be her husband, Florestan ('Gut, Don Fernando minister and Spanish nobleman bass Sohnchen, gut'). l.ii [Act 2, 1805 version] A courtyard of the Soldiers, prisoners, townspeople prison To the sound of a march, the soldiers enter. Setting A Spanish prison not far from Pizarro follows. He reads the dispatches, which include a letter warning or a surprise visit by the minister to question him about prisoners being held without cause. L'amour conjugal. This drama by J.-N. Bouilly had been Having imprisoned Fiorestan for political reasons (only set by in 1798 and was also set in Italian vaguely specified), Pizarro is forced to act. He stations a translation by Ferdinando Paer in 1804 and Simon trumpeter in the tower and resolves to take his revenge Mayr in 1805. Beethoven worked from a German ver- at once (aria with chorus, 'Ha! welch ein Augenblick!'). sion translated and enlarged by the Viennese court Pizarro calls Rocco aside and attempts, unsuccessfully, secretary Joseph von Sonnleithner. The choice was to enlist his aid in the murder (duet, 'Jetzt, Alter, jetzt probably influenced both by the recent success in Vienna hat es Eile!'). The men leave. Leonore, who has observed of another, very similar drama by Bouilly, Les deux them plotting, curses Pizarro and reaffirms her hope journees, in a setting by Cherubini, and by the and her own resolve (accompanied recitative, attractiveness of the subject matter, whose themes of un- 'Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hm?'; ana in two sections, deserved suffering and heroic resolve were very much in 'Komm, Hoffnung', 'Ich folg' dem innern Triebe'). Beethoven's mind at about this time. Rocco and Marzelline enter, and Leonore (now in her Composition of the opera continued through much of role as Fidelio again) persuades Rocco to allow some of 1804 and 1805, and last-minute difficulties with the the prisoners out into the open air. They emerge and censors delayed the premiere until 20 November 1805. sing in praise of freedom ('O welche Lust!'); this begins The principal singers were the soprano Anna Milder as the finale to Act 1. Rocco tells Fidelio that he has Leonore and the tenor Friedrich Christian Demmer as obtained permission for the marriage to Marzelline. He Florestan. There were only three performances. Vienna will also be permitted to take Fidelio to the cell of the was under occupation by French troops, and many of mysterious prisoner, whose grave they must prepare. Beethoven's supporters had left the city. The opera was Jaquino and Marzelline rush in and warn of Pizarro's also felt to be too long, and Beethoven was persuaded to arrival. Pizarro is enraged by Rocco's presumption in abridge and alter it slightly. A revised version in two letting the prisoners out, but Rocco deflects the anger by rather than three acts, with Rocco's aria omitted and citing the king's name-day and noting that one prisoner other sections shortened and rearranged (see Table 1), has remained inside. The prisoners return to their cells was performed on 29 March and 10 April 1806, with ('Leb wohl, du warmes Sonnenlicht'). Joseph Rockel replacing Demmer as Florestan. To avoid ^ -- ""^ confusion with the of Gaveaux and Paer, the /ACT 2.1 \t 3, 1805 version] A subterranean theatre had insisted on the title Fidelio in the 1805 and T»W— Afi^ orchestral introduction depicts the bleakness 1806 productions; Beethoven himself preferred of the scene. In an accompanied recitative Florestan Leonore, and that title appears in the 1806 libretto curses the darkness but accepts God's will ('Gott! welch' 183