Fidelio, Op. 72

Beethoven's only opera tells the story of Leonore, who disguises herself as a male prison guard named Fidelio to rescue her husband, Florestan, from unjust political imprisonment. She secures a job at the prison just as the villainous governor Pizarro orders Florestan's execution. Ultimately, she reveals her identity and threatens the governor, saving her husband's life.

Beethoven famously struggled with the overture for Fidelio, ultimately composing four different versions. They are known as the Leonore Overtures No. 1, 2, and 3, and the final Fidelio Overture. Today, Leonore Overture No. 3 is often performed as a separate standalone piece during the opera's intermission.

The opera first premiered in Vienna in 1805, though it initially struggled to find commercial success with audiences. Beethoven heavily revised the work over several years, bringing it to its final, most recognized form in 1814. This final version is the one standardly performed by major opera houses today.

The original libretto for Fidelio was prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner, adapted from a French text by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. After the initial 1805 failure, Beethoven revised the opera with the help of librettist Georg Friedrich Treitschke in 1814. Treitschke's revisions successfully helped tighten the dramatic pacing of the story.