Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, began development in 1804, inspired by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly's French libretto "Léonore, ou L'amour conjugale" (Leonora, or Conjugal Love).
Performer Biography
Inga Nielsen, the soprano singing Leonore, was honored by Queen Margarethe of Denmark with the Order of the Dannebrog in 1992.
Composition History
The plot of Fidelio, dealing with unjust imprisonment and rescue by a loyal wife, was topical, reflecting an incident during the French revolutionary Reign of Terror.
Composer Biography
Beethoven, the composer, was familiar with theatrical repertoire from a young age, as his father was a singer and his grandfather a Kapellmeister at the court in Bonn.
Composition History
Fidelio underwent several revisions, with libretto changes by Stephan von Breuning and Georg Friedrich Treitschke, and four different overtures were composed for it.
Recording & Production
This recording of Fidelio was made at Phoenix Studios in Budapest, Hungary, over several days in November 1998.
Notable Performances
The premiere of Beethoven's opera in November 1805 in Vienna, under the title Fidelio, had limited success, partly because Vienna was occupied by the French and many supporters had fled.
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