Fidelio, oder Die eheliche Liebe

Opera by Beethoven (libretto by J Sonnleithner, based on Bouilly's libretto of Léonore, ou L'Amour conjugal written for Pierre Gaveaux), first produced at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, Austria, on 20 November 1805, conducted by Beethoven, with the overture Leonora No. 2. A revised version, with the overture Leonora No. 3, was performed at the same theatre on 29 March 1806, conducted by Ignaz Seyfried. The overture Leonora No. 1 was written for the first performance but abandoned as unsuitable; a second revision was produced at the Vienna Kärntnertortheater on 23 May 1814, with the Fidelio overture in E major. The story of the opera concerns the political prisoner Florestan who is rescued by his disguised wife (Leonore/Fidelio) when the evil Pizarro arrives to kill him.