Ludwig von Beethoven 1770-1827

Fidelio

Emanuel Schikaneder, director of the Theater an der Wien, and Mozart’s librettist for Die Zauberflöte (‘The Magic Flute’), asked Beethoven to write an opera for his theatre. Schikaneder’s secretary, Joseph Sonnleithner, suggested that Beethoven base his opera on a play by Jean Nicolas Bouilly – Leonore, or Married Love – which contained much social criticism. Its story was based on a real event at the time of the French Revolution, in which ‘a heroic woman from Touraine, disguised herself as a man to help her husband escape from the tyranny of Jacobin rule’. The French poet and humanist Romain Rolland wrote that ‘what most attracted [Beethoven] to Leonore was the tragic background to the story – revolution.’

The public did not greet the opera, which had its première on 20 November 1805, with much enthusiasm. Nor were the critics particularly positive. Beethoven’s friends knew he had begun to revise the work. On 29 March 1806, the second version was premièred, conducted by the composer. Although this performance was well received, Beethoven himself complained that the piece was unacceptable, and withdrew the score. In 1813, the Hofoper in Vienna was looking for a suitable work for a benefit performance. People remembered the opera that Beethoven had been at pains to forget. It took a long to persuade him to let them perform it. Before he gave it to the Hofoper, Beethoven completely revised the opera and gave it a new title – Fidelio. The première of this third version took place in Vienna on 23 May 1814. Immediately, it achieved the unique position it has held in European opera ever since.

The press wrote about this production in 2002:

‘A production that does not attempt to update Fidelio with contemporary references, but presents it as timeless.’

Kasper Jansen in nrc-Handelsblad, 3 June 2002

‘With this production, the Reisopera again proves that this company provides the best opera in The Netherlands.’

Doron Nagan in Algemeen Dagblad, 4 September 2002