Leonora

Beethoven began composing Leonore in January 1804. The theme—the liberation of a man unjustly imprisoned by his devoted wife—was part of the genre of “rescue operas”, which were very popular at the end of the 18th century. The premiere of Leonore, before an audience that did not understand it at a time of political turmoil, was a failure, and Beethoven responded by shortening the work from three acts to two, which was the version performed in 1806. After further revisions, Fidelio was released in 1814. This performance is part of Opera Lafayette's Leonore Project, which included a performance of Léonore, ou L'Amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux, the opera that inspired Beethoven to create his Leonore. This production of Leonore includes the aria sung by Florestan at the beginning of the third act, which was partially lost during the opera's numerous revisions. Other directors have used the 1806 revision of the aria, but Opera Lafayette relied on a reconstruction by director Will Crutchfield.