Beethoven's only opera
Ludwig van Beethoven
Synopsis
The plot of Fidelio unfolds in and around a secret prison run by the US government, but outside of the United States. Florestan (tenor), a congressman, has been unjustly imprisoned by his political opponent Pizarro (bass), a high ranking CIA official. Florestan's wife, Leonore (soprano), refusing to believe reports that he is already dead, determines to save him. Having disguised herself as a man, Fidelio, she has persuaded the head jailor, Rocco (bass), to employ her as his assistant. As Act One opens, Jaquino (tenor), a guard, is declaring his love for Rocco's daughter, Marzelline (soprano), but her thoughts are for Fidelio. This results in a canonic quartet, in which Marzelline sings of Fidelio's interest in her, Lenore expresses pity for Marzelline's misguided love, Jaquino laments losing Marzelline to a rival, and Rocco gives his approval to the `match'. Leonore is forced to go along with the situation, and uses it to her advantage, offering Rocco help with the prisoners in the dungeons. He is grateful for the offer and proposes to ask Pizarro's permission, but he warns that Fidelio must not go near one particular prisoner who is on the verge of death. Martial music announces the arrival of Pizarro, who hears that the the chair of the House Intelligence Committee Don Fernando (baritone) is coming to make an inspection because he has heard that prisoners are being held unjustly. Pizarro declares that Florestan must be destroyed, and he gloats over the imminence of his revenge. Pizarro unsuccessfully attempts to bribe Rocco to murder Florestan and then announces he will do it himself. Terror and despair strike the heart of Leonore, but in a moving aria she vows that her everlasting love for Florestan will give her strength. She persuades Rocco to allow the prisoners to walk in the courtyard. In the finale to Act One the prisoners express their love of the fresh air. Rocco asks Fidelio to help him dig the grave for the prisoner who is to be killed, and Pizarro's anger that the prisoners have been allowed outside is abated by Rocco's explanation that it was in the honour of a national holiday.
Florestan is seen for the first time in Act Two. In the recitative 'God - What Darkness here', he resigns himself to death, and in the ensuing aria he comforts himself that he has always done his duty, and imagines himself beside an angel resembling Leonore. Leonore and Rocco enter the cell to dig a grave in an old well. Only now does Florestan discover, from Rocco, who his captor is, and he begs in vain for a message to be sent to his wife. Pizarro arrives to kill Florestan. In the quartet he reveals himself to Florestan in order to extract greater revenge, and then Leonore intervenes, revealing her true identity. She is threatening to shoot Pizarro when a trumpet call heralds the arrival of Don Fernando. The quartet ends with Leonore, Florestan and Rocco expressing relief and gladness, and Pizarro cursing with anger and fear. Leonore and Florestan are left alone and embrace each other, singing an ecstatic duet. For the finale, the scene shifts to outside the prison, where Don Fernando announces that he has been sent by the Congress to end tyranny and see that justice is done. He is surprised to see his old friend, Florestan, whom he believed dead, and hears from Rocco an account of what has taken place. Pizarro is led away and Leonore is given the keys to unlock her husband's chains. The opera ends with a hymn of praise in which the townspeople, prisoners and all the principal characters, apart from Pizarro, praise the virtues of love and faith.
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