Fidelio
Fidelio is the only opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly.
Contents
The original text
Fidelio is inspired by a true story from the French Revolution. It centres on a woman, Leonore, whose husband Florestan has been secretly imprisoned by his political rival – the villainous Don Pizarro. Originally titled Leonore, oder Der Triumph der ehelichen Liebe. The opera premiered at Vienna's Theater an der Wien on 20 November 1805.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1990: Presented by CAPAB Opera (31 January – 17 February)
1994: Presented by CAPAB Opera (14–25 April)
2004: Presented by Cape Town Opera (27 March)
2012: Presented by Cape Town Opera (7–10 March)
Sources
'Fidelio in a nutshell'. Opera North. https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/fidelio-in-a-nutshell/
Wayne Muller. 2018. A reception history of opera in Cape Town: Tracing the development of a distinctly South African operatic aesthetic (1985–2015). Unpublished PhD thesis.
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