What Did Fidelio Mean To Beethoven?

Bergel, Ernest W. “What did Fidelio mean to Beethoven?” The Beethoven Journal 23, no. 2 (2008): 52—73. Ernest W. Bergel’s article principally argues about the relationship between Beethoven and his only opera Leonore/Fidelio under the question: What did Fidelio mean to Beethoven? In the first chapter, introduction, the author started with the general informa tion about Fidelio as hook for readers. Then, he moves on the topic and claims the neces sary to examine since it is not answered sufficiently. Further, the author states the first statement about this question through Alan Tyson with his article, Beethoven’s Heroic Phase. Tyson mentions the relationship with the Heiligenstadt Testament (1802) and the two vocal works: Christ on the Mount of Olives (1802-1803) and Leonore (1803-1804). In this regard, the author expands the Tyson view. The author provides the historical perspective of Leonore in the second chapter: Histor ical review. He offers the information of some other opera works by several composers with same subject, Leonore. Then the author asserts the premiere of the first version in 1805 and failure. Besides, it provides the process of revision and

It gives the specific biography about him with forty chapters and 1141 pages. The seventeenth chapter, eighteenth chap ter, nineteenth chapter and the twenty-seventh chapter provide fundamental and essential information of paper. The seventeenth chapter states the origin of Leonore. Further, next eighteenth chapter shows the compositional process and the conflict to compose the over ture, Leonore No. 2. Then, the nineteenth chapter argues the revision of Leonore and the author clearly provides the reason of revision for Leonore overture No. 3. Finally, the twenty-seventh chapter discuss the process of revision for Fidelio. Moreover, this chapter also gives the background about the Fidelio