Theatre, May 18, 1832; and in English at Covent Garden, June 12, 1835,
with Malibran in the title-rôle. Beethoven wrote four overtures for
this great work. The first was composed in 1805, the second in 1806,
the third in 1807, and the fourth in 1814. It is curious that there
has always been a confusion in their numbering, and the error remains
to this day. What is called No. 1 is in reality No. 3, and was
composed for a performance of the opera at Prague, the previous
overture having been too difficult for the strings. The splendid
"Leonora," No. 3, is in reality No. 2, and the No. 2 is No. 1. The
fourth, or the "Fidelio" overture, contains a new set of themes, but
the "Leonora" is the grandest of them all.

The entire action of the opera transpires in a Spanish prison, of
which Don Pizarro is governor and Rocco the jailer. The porter of the
prison is Jacquino, who is in love with Marcellina, daughter of Rocco,
and she in turn is in love with Fidelio, Rocco's assistant, who has
assumed male disguise the better to assist her in her plans for the
rescue of her husband, Florestan, a Spanish nobleman. The latter, who
is the victim of Don Pizarro's hatred because he had thwarted some of
his evil designs, has been imprisoned by him unknown to the world, and
is slowly starving to death. Leonora, his wife, who in some way has
discovered that her husband is in the prison, has obtained employment
of Rocco, disguised as the young man Fidelio.

The opera opens with a charming, playful love-scene between Jacquino
and Marcellina, whom the former is teasing to marry him. She puts him
off, and as he sorrowfully departs, sings the Hope aria, "Die
Hoffnung," a fresh, smoothly flowing melody, in which she pictures the
delight of a life with Fidelio. At its close Rocco enters with the
despondent Jacquino, shortly followed by Fidelio, who is very much