What is Fidelio?
Q: What is Fidelio?
A: Fidelio is an opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera and tells the story of Leonore, who rescues her husband Florestan from death in a political prison.
Q: What type of opera is Fidelio?
A: Fidelio is an example of a “rescue opera”, which was popular at the time. The hero (or heroine) has to fight against cruel people in order to rescue a lover.
Q: When was it written?
A: Fidelio was written at the time of the French Revolution when ideas about freedom and peace were being talked about by everyone, leading to wars all over Europe.
Q: What does the Prisoners' Chorus represent?
A: The Prisoners' Chorus represents a song for freedom, just like the last movement of his Ninth Symphony.
Q: How many times did it take Beethoven to be satisfied with his work on Fidelio?
A: It took Beethoven three attempts before he was completely happy with his work on Fidelio; first as a three-act opera called Leonore, then as two acts and new overture (now known as "Overture: Leonore No. 3"), and finally as two acts under its current name - Fidelio - which became a great success.
Q: Who wrote the libretto for this opera?
A: The German libretto for this opera was written by Joseph Sonnleithner based on a French story.
Q: How long has it been since its first performance until now?
A:Fidelio has been performed since 1805 and remains famous ever since.
