A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Léonore

by George Grove

LÉONORE, OU L' AMOUR CONJUGAL, an opéra-comique in 2 acts; words by Bouilly, music by Gaveaux. Produced at the Opéra Comique Feb. 19, 1798. The book was translated into Italian, composed by Paer, and produced at Dresden Oct. 3, 1804. It was also translated into German by Jos. Sonnleithner (late in 1804), and composed by Beethoven. The story of the transformations and performances of the opera in its three shapes is given under Fidelio (vol. i. p. 519a); and it only remains to add that it was proposed to bring it out at Prague in May 1807, and that Beethoven, with that view, wrote the overture known as 'Leonore No. 1' (op. 138). The proposal however was not carried out, and the overture remained, probably unperformed, till after his death.^[1] It was Beethoven's wish from first to last that the opera should be called 'Leonore'; and his edition of the pianoforte score, published by Breitkopfs in Oct. 1810,is entitled 'Leonore, oper in zwey Aufzugen von L. van Beethoven.' On all other occasions he was overruled by the Management of the theatre, and the opera has always been announced as Fidelio, probably to avoid confusion with Paer's opera. For the whole evidence see 'Leonore oder Fidelio?' in Otto Jahn's Gesamm. Schriften, p. 236, and Thayer's Chron. Verzeichniss, p. 61.

It may be well here to give a list of the overtures to the opera in the order of their composition.

Title.	Date and Occasion.	Date of publication of Score.
Leonore No. 2, in C.	For production of opera, Nov. 20, 1805.	Breitkopf 1842 and 1854.
Leonore No. 3, in C.	For production of modified opera, Mar. 29, 1806.	Breitkopf 1823.
Leonore No. 1, in C (op. 138).	For a performance of the opera at Prague in May 1807, which never came off.	Haslinger 1832.
Fidelio, in E.	For the second and final revision of the opera; first played May 26, 1814.	Breitkopf 1864.

[App. p.700 "Mr. Nottebohm's researches in the sketch-books have made it clear that for the revival of the opera in 1814, Beethoven's first intention was to recast the Prague Overture No. 3 (op. 138), changing the key to E. Of this various drafts exist, and some are given in 'Beethoveniana,' p. 74. Had this intention been carried out the overture would have borne the same relation to op. 138 that 'Leonora No. 3' does to 'Leonora No. 2,' and we might then have possessed five overtures to the opera!"]

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1. Nottebohm, 'Beethoveniana.'