Beethoven's Fidelio

Beethoven's Fidelio
Faith in the triumph of good

Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera is a story about the power of love and humanity's yearning for freedom. In a prison outside Seville, Leonore fights to save her husband Florestan, held captive by the brutal governor Pizarro. Disguised as a young man named Fidelio, she takes work as a prison guard and dares the impossible - to defy power in the name of truth.

The opera was written during a turbulent time in Europe; its premiere coincided with Napoleon's occupation of Vienna. Beethoven revised the work several times - from three acts to two, with three different overtures - before the final version achieved its breakthrough in 1814.

The music moves between quiet intimacy and grand triumph: from tender arias to the mighty chorus of freedom. Fidelio sets love against power, courage against oppression - and lets light break through from darkness.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio, 1814 version (approximately 1 hour 10 minutes)
Intermission 25 minutes
Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio, 1814 version (approximately 1 hour)