The only opera Beethoven composed was "Fidelio".

Fidelio (opera in two acts) is the only opera by Saint Beethoven. The final version of the opera was a two-act play, but the premiere was in three acts. Joseph Songleitner and George Trechik adapted it from a screenplay by Nicolas Bjoli. It premiered in Vienna in 1805.

Plot:

The noble Don Florestan was imprisoned for opposing tyranny. His political enemy Picharo planned to starve him to death slowly in prison. In order to rescue her husband, Florestan's wife Leonora disguised herself as a man and sneaked into the prison under the pseudonym Fidelio and acted as the jailer's assistant. Due to her care, Florestan survived death. Finally, when the upright Minister of State came to inspect the prison and Pizarro was afraid that the conspiracy would be exposed and decided to kill Florestan himself, Fidelio raised his gun to protect his husband and prevented Picharro from doing so. Immediately, the Minister of State arrived, and Fidelio made his identity clear and appealed for his husband's grievances, which finally made the injustice clear.

The opera *** has four overtures, three of which are named "Leonora" and one is "Fidelio". The third piece of "Leonora Overture" is the first great overture that uses thematic materials and structure to summarize the content of the opera. It is the epitome of the entire opera and is also a famous one among opera overtures today. The opening prelude "Fidelio Overture" closely follows the theme of the whole play, highlights the heroic character of the heroine Leonora, and praises her loyalty to love and unyielding spirit. The introduction of the overture begins with the alternation of two contrasting musical images - Leonora's decisive and resolute motivation and Florestan's lamenting tone - and then the tremolo chords of the strings set off the prison. A gloomy and ominous atmosphere. Then, the first theme of the heroic character appeared in the presentation part, showing softness in the toughness, showing the mental outlook of the heroine after disguising herself as a man. After the band played in full, the witty and dynamic second theme was stated,

We seem to see her agile figure acting bravely to save her husband. The development part develops the material of the first theme. The soft and lingering sound shows the female tenderness of the protagonist and vividly depicts the deep love between Leonora and Florestan. Subsequently, the theme of the presentation part was reappeared, and the two contrasting musical motives in the introduction returned, but they were no longer moans of despair, but delicately expressed the protagonist's complex psychology of joy and sorrow at the moment of victory, and in the triumphal glory of the victory. It ends on the stereo. The vocal music of the opera is also excellent. For example, in the first act, when Leonora secretly learned of Pizarro's plot to kill her husband, she was extremely nervous and sang a recitative with dramatic power. A good expression of her indignation. Then she sang a beautiful and melodious aria "Come, Hope", expressing her loyalty to love and her hopeful belief in the future.