Fidelio

Fidelio is an opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. The opera tells how Leonore, disguised as a prison guard named "Fidelio," rescues her husband Florestan from death in a political prison.

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Like much else in Beethoven's career, the opera involved considerable struggle on the composer's part, and it went through several versions before achieving full success.

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The opera is a central work of Beethoven's so-called "middle period," and like much of Beethoven's music of this time it emphasizes heroism. Bouilly's story undoubtedly attracted Beethoven for the opportunities it offered in portraying heroism in the main characters. The story also engaged Beethoven's strong feelings about the struggle for political liberty that was taking place in Europe in his day.

Opera: Opera refers to an European art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. Comparable art forms from other parts of the world are usually prefaced with an adjective indicating the region; examples include Chinese opera and Beijing opera....

Ludwig van Beethoven: :For the dog-character with the same name, see Beethoven (film)...

Libretto: :Libretto can also refer to a sub-notebook PC manufactured by Toshiba....

Fidelio related Images and Photos (experimental)

Set Design For Act II of the Opera Fidelio by Ludwig Van Beethoven