Fidelio: English National Opera Guide 4

By Ludwig van Beethoven

Book Overview

English National Opera Guides are ideal companions to the opera. They provide stimulating introductory articles together with the complete text of each opera in English and the original." Fidelio" is Beethoven's only opera and the composition he is said to have loved the most. Elizabeth Forbes introduces the background and composition of the opera, written and revised over the years when Europe was caught up in the Napoleonic campaigns. Basil Deane's musical commentary is the fruit of a life's study and devotion to the work. The last contribution is an extract from Ernest Newman's translation of Romain Rolland's classic study of Beethoven the creator.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714544086
• ISBN13: 9780714544083
• Release Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Oneworld Classics
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

This is what you want

This is the real thing. Full orchestral score and complete. No translation from the German, unfortunately, but a translation of the libretto is not hard to find.

Beethoven's only Opera

The history of Fidelio's composition is one of the great comic Operas in the annals of music theatre. Beethoven wrote the opera's first version, Leonore. He liked it, but didn't like the overture. He wrote a second overture, didn't like it, then wrote a third. He liked the new overture, but decided he didn't like the opera. So he re-wrote the Opera and re-titled it Fidelio. After finishing the new score, he decided that, you guessed it, he hated the overture. After composing two full length operas and four 15-minute overtures, he finally had the piece he wanted to compose. With sweat pouring off his brow, he triumphantly exclaimed, "man, I ain't doing that again!" Dover reprinted an early Breitkopf & Hartel edition of Fidelio, using as it's resource B & H's gesamtlichtwerke (I believe that's "complete works"). Dover chose Fidelio, not Leonore, for the simple reason that Fidelio is the version most often performed today. Maybe the idea that Dover could've publish two versions simply underlines the assertion that Dover should begin publishing Complete Works of some of Western Classical music's great masters, such as Beethoven (sold separately, or in a set, of course). The scholarship in this B & H Fidelio is, of course, highly reliable, and the book itself is easy to read and nearly indestructable. The print is large enough that this score could be used on the podium.