Fidelio

Beethoven famously struggled with the opera's opening, ultimately writing four different overtures. The final version used today is known as the 'Fidelio Overture' (Op. 72c), while the earlier three are known as the 'Leonore Overtures.'

The story follows a woman named Leonore who disguises herself as a male prison guard named Fidelio to rescue her husband, Florestan, from political imprisonment. The opera culminates in the arrival of a minister who frees the prisoners and exposes the corrupt prison governor.

Fidelio premiered in Vienna in 1805, right as the city was occupied by Napoleon's troops. Beethoven revised the opera extensively in 1806 and again in 1814 to improve its dramatic pacing.

Fidelio is technically categorized as a rescue opera, but it heavily incorporates elements of a German singspiel by utilizing spoken dialogue instead of sung recitatives. It stands out as Beethoven's singular, monumental contribution to the operatic stage.