What do you think?
Rate this book
Fidelio: Oper in zwei Aufzügen Libretto
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
54 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1932
About the author
Ludwig van Beethoven
7,312 books244 followersFrom classical composition, well-known musical works of Ludwig van Beethoven, a partially and then totally deaf German, include symphonies, concertos, sonatas, string quartets, Masses, and one opera and form a transition to romanticism.
Ludwig van Beethoven lived of the period between the late and early eras. A mother in Bonn bore him.
People widely regard Ludwig van Beethoven as one greatest master of construction; sometimes sketched the architecture of a movement and afterward decided upon the subject matter. He first systematically and consistently used interlocking thematic devices or “germ-motives” to achieve long unity between movements. He equally remarkably used many different “source-motives”, which recurred and lent some unity to his life. He touched and made almost every innovation. For example, he diversified and even crystallized, made and brought the more elastic, spacious, and closer rondo. The natural course mostly inspired him, and liked to write descriptive songs.
Ludwig van Beethoven excelled in a great variety of genres, piano, other instrumental for violin, other chamber, and lieder.
People usually divide career of Ludwig van Beethoven into early, middle, and late periods.
In the early period, he is seen as emulating his great predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while concurrently exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second, the first six, the first three piano, and the first twenty piano, the famous “Pathétique” and “Moonlight."
The Middle (Heroic) period began shortly after Beethoven’s personal crisis centering around his encroaching. The period is noted for large-scale expressing heroism and struggle; these many of the most famous. Middle period six (numbers 3 to 8), the fourth and fifth piano, the triple and violin, five (numbers 7 to 11), the next seven piano (the “Waldstein” and the “Appassionata”), and Beethoven’s only Fidelio.
Beethoven’s Late period began around 1816. The Late-period are characterized by intellectual depth, intense and highly personal expression, and formal innovation (for example, the Op. 131 has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement). Many people in his time period do not think these measured up to his first few, and his with J. Reinhold were frowned upon. Of this period also the Missa Solemnis, the last five, and the last five piano.
Ludwig van Beethoven lived of the period between the late and early eras. A mother in Bonn bore him.
People widely regard Ludwig van Beethoven as one greatest master of construction; sometimes sketched the architecture of a movement and afterward decided upon the subject matter. He first systematically and consistently used interlocking thematic devices or “germ-motives” to achieve long unity between movements. He equally remarkably used many different “source-motives”, which recurred and lent some unity to his life. He touched and made almost every innovation. For example, he diversified and even crystallized, made and brought the more elastic, spacious, and closer rondo. The natural course mostly inspired him, and liked to write descriptive songs.
Ludwig van Beethoven excelled in a great variety of genres, piano, other instrumental for violin, other chamber, and lieder.
People usually divide career of Ludwig van Beethoven into early, middle, and late periods.
In the early period, he is seen as emulating his great predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while concurrently exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second, the first six, the first three piano, and the first twenty piano, the famous “Pathétique” and “Moonlight."
The Middle (Heroic) period began shortly after Beethoven’s personal crisis centering around his encroaching. The period is noted for large-scale expressing heroism and struggle; these many of the most famous. Middle period six (numbers 3 to 8), the fourth and fifth piano, the triple and violin, five (numbers 7 to 11), the next seven piano (the “Waldstein” and the “Appassionata”), and Beethoven’s only Fidelio.
Beethoven’s Late period began around 1816. The Late-period are characterized by intellectual depth, intense and highly personal expression, and formal innovation (for example, the Op. 131 has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement). Many people in his time period do not think these measured up to his first few, and his with J. Reinhold were frowned upon. Of this period also the Missa Solemnis, the last five, and the last five piano.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 11, 2018
On the surface, this is a story of loyalty in love, but it is so much more. Like all great Romantic works (especially of the German variety) it is a passionate plea for justice and liberty against autocratic tyranny. It upholds the dignity of common men and women -- both political prisoners and those tasked with guarding them -- who follow their own moral compasses even as they face the wrath, bribery, and coercion of a powerful ruling class who holds the guardians in bondage just as much as those in the dungeons. Strength comes not from gold (or the power that accompanies it) but in the resistance to that power.
Florestan himself is only in prison because he chose to attempt to uncover the crimes of Pizarro. Leonore is loyal to Florestan, but only saves him due to her shared desire to combat the unjust violence of Pizarro. For all of Rocco’s posturing about gold in Act I, it is his empathy for the prisoners -- not only his inability to commit murder, but his allowing them a day of exercise or even offering the condemned man a drink of wine -- that allows Leonore/Fidelio access to Florestan. Even Marzelline, who gets the short end of the stick at the end of the opera, resists the overbearing masculine entitlement of Jaquino, choosing to love Fidelio for the very qualities that Leonore possesses in adopting that persona, and which cannot be concealed. The guise of “Fidelio” that Marzelline and her father admire -- loyalty, strength, fearlessness, empathy -- succeeds precisely because it is not an “act,” but a genuine expression of integrity in a world where those qualities are constantly threatened by the likes of Pizarro.
Of course, the aristocrat arrives in the end like a deus ex machina to reassert just authority (and, in a cynical reading, to reassert the proper hierarchy of his class to administer justice, dispense punishment, and bestow “freedom” under the appearance of being “brethren” with the lower classes!); but this does not lessen the power of the common men and women who have faced tyranny and declared with dignity, “Non serviam!" Likewise, a loving marriage is deemed in the end to
be a courageous coequal partnering, not a woman in bondage to a man. (Again, the cynical reading: tell that to Marzelline, who gets stuck with Jaquino in the end!)
Essential reading (and watching).
Florestan himself is only in prison because he chose to attempt to uncover the crimes of Pizarro. Leonore is loyal to Florestan, but only saves him due to her shared desire to combat the unjust violence of Pizarro. For all of Rocco’s posturing about gold in Act I, it is his empathy for the prisoners -- not only his inability to commit murder, but his allowing them a day of exercise or even offering the condemned man a drink of wine -- that allows Leonore/Fidelio access to Florestan. Even Marzelline, who gets the short end of the stick at the end of the opera, resists the overbearing masculine entitlement of Jaquino, choosing to love Fidelio for the very qualities that Leonore possesses in adopting that persona, and which cannot be concealed. The guise of “Fidelio” that Marzelline and her father admire -- loyalty, strength, fearlessness, empathy -- succeeds precisely because it is not an “act,” but a genuine expression of integrity in a world where those qualities are constantly threatened by the likes of Pizarro.
Of course, the aristocrat arrives in the end like a deus ex machina to reassert just authority (and, in a cynical reading, to reassert the proper hierarchy of his class to administer justice, dispense punishment, and bestow “freedom” under the appearance of being “brethren” with the lower classes!); but this does not lessen the power of the common men and women who have faced tyranny and declared with dignity, “Non serviam!" Likewise, a loving marriage is deemed in the end to
be a courageous coequal partnering, not a woman in bondage to a man. (Again, the cynical reading: tell that to Marzelline, who gets stuck with Jaquino in the end!)
Essential reading (and watching).
July 25, 2026
La música compuesta por Beethoven me ha gustado, tiene partes muy intensas, y también muchos episodios hablados (líneas vocales), sin nada de música, lo cual siento que le da cierto dinamismo.
Aunque la historia suene interesante, realmente no me pareció un guion muy elaborado, siento que le faltó trabajar más el personaje de Leonore, pues daba para más la historia de una mujer en el siglo XVIII que se emplea en una cárcel fingiendo ser hombre para encontrar a su esposo. En el caso de Florestan sí se nota mayor profundidad , sobre todo al principio del segundo acto cuando está lamentándose en su celda. La temática recurrente, después de la búsqueda de Leonore, es la de la justicia, a veces equiparada a la sabiduría de la divinidad, y otras confundida con venganza, viendo a ésta como un medio para alcanzar a aquella.
Como guion de ópera creo que funciona bien en general, es entretenido, y tiene tanto partes dramáticas y melancólicas, como jocosas también.
Aunque la historia suene interesante, realmente no me pareció un guion muy elaborado, siento que le faltó trabajar más el personaje de Leonore, pues daba para más la historia de una mujer en el siglo XVIII que se emplea en una cárcel fingiendo ser hombre para encontrar a su esposo. En el caso de Florestan sí se nota mayor profundidad , sobre todo al principio del segundo acto cuando está lamentándose en su celda. La temática recurrente, después de la búsqueda de Leonore, es la de la justicia, a veces equiparada a la sabiduría de la divinidad, y otras confundida con venganza, viendo a ésta como un medio para alcanzar a aquella.
Como guion de ópera creo que funciona bien en general, es entretenido, y tiene tanto partes dramáticas y melancólicas, como jocosas también.
November 1, 2024
I went to an Opera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.! The story line was phenomenal! One thing that I realized was that the opera was presented in German, so I had to read the entire 2hrs and 45 mins of the show. This is definitely a classic!
July 13, 2021
Don’t really know how I would rate it. I enjoyed it, it was very short but I don’t know if I am going to read it again :)
March 29, 2023
I found the needle in the haystack tonight, an operatic happy ending! I left the opera house with such joy and hope in my heart, that I'm opting to forgo my nightly game of Russian roulette!
April 19, 2022
La hemos leído en clase de primaria con los nenes, el mero hecho de usar la teatralización les engancha, pero la obra en sí no es la panacea.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews