The most complete, at the same time picturesque, story of Beethoven and his “Fidelio” is told in “Musical Sketches,” by Elise Polko, with all the sentimentality that a German writer can command. Whole paragraphs might be lifted from that book and included in this sketch, but the substance of the story shall be told in a somewhat inferior way.

“Leonora” (Fidelio) was composed some time before it was produced. Ludwig van Beethoven had been urged again and again by his friends to put the opera before the public, but he always refused.

“It shall never be produced till I find the woman in whose powers I have absolute confidence to sing ‘Leonora.’ She need not be beautiful, change her costume ten times, nor break her throat with roulades: but she must have one thing besides her voice.” He would not disclose what special quality he demanded; and when his friends persisted in urging the production of his first, last, and only opera, Beethoven went into a great rage and declared if the subject were ever mentioned again, he would burn the manuscript. At one time friends begged him to hear a new prima donna, Wilhelmina Schroeder, the daughter of a great actress, believing that in her he would find his “Leonora.”

This enraged him still more. The idea of entrusting his beloved composition to a girl no more than sixteen years old!

His appearance at that time is thus described:

“At the same hour every afternoon a tall man walked alone on the so-called Wasserglacis (Vienna). Every one reverentially avoided him. Neither heat nor cold made him hasten his steps; no passer-by arrested his eye; he strode slowly, firmly and proudly along, with glance bent downward, and with hands clasped behind his back. You felt that he was some extraordinary being, and that the might of genius encircled this majestic head with its glory. Gray hair grew thickly around his magnificent brow, but he noticed not the spring breeze that played sportively among it and pushed it in his eyes. Every child knew: ’that is Ludwig van Beethoven, who has composed such wondrously beautiful music.’”

One day, during one of these outings a fearful storm arose, and he noticed a beautiful young woman, whom he had frequently seen in his walks, frightened but standing still without protection from the weather. She stared at him with such peculiar devotion and entreaty that he stopped and asked her what she did there in the storm.

She had the appearance of a child, and great simplicity of manner. She told him she waited to see him. He, being surprised at this, questioned her, and she declared she was Wilhelmina Schroeder, who longed for nothing but to sing his Leonora, of which all Vienna had heard. He took her to his home, she sang the part for him, and at once he accepted her.

It was she who first sang “Fidelio,” and she who had the “quality” that Beethoven demanded: the quality of kindness. It is said that her face was instinct with gentleness and her voice exquisitely beautiful. It was almost the last thing that Beethoven heard. His deafness was already upon him, but he heard her voice; heard his beloved opera sung, and was so much overcome by the beauty of the young girl’s art that during the performance he fainted.

Of all temperamental men, Beethoven was doubtless the most so, and the anecdotes written of him are many. He was especially irascible. His domestic annoyances are revealed freely in his diary: “Nancy is too uneducated for a housekeeper indeed, quite a beast.” “My precious servants were occupied from seven o’clock till ten, trying to light a fire.” “The cook’s off again I shied half a dozen books at her head.” “No soup to-day, no beef, no eggs. Got something from the inn at last.” These situations are amusing to read about, decades later, but doubtless tragic enough at the time to the great composer!

That in financial matters Beethoven was quite practical was illustrated by his answer to the Prussian Ambassador at Vienna, who offered to the musician the choice of the glory of having some order bestowed upon him or fifty ducats. Beethoven took the ducats.

Beautiful as the production of “Fidelio” was, it did not escape criticism from an eminent source. Cherubini was present at the first performance at the Karnthnerthor Theatre in Vienna, and when asked how he liked the overture (Leonora in C) he replied:

“To be honest, I must confess that I could not tell what key it was in from beginning to end.”

FIDELIO

CHARACTERS OF THE OPERA

Marcelline (jailer’s daughter).
Leonora (under name of Fidelio).
Florestan (her husband and a state prisoner).
Jaquino (porter of the prison).
Pizarro (governor of the prison).
Hernando (the minister).
Rocco (the jailer).
Chorus of soldiers, prisoners and people.

Scene is laid in Spain.

Composer: Beethoven.

ACT I

Marcelline, the jailer’s daughter, had been tormented to death for months by the love-making of her father’s porter, Jaquino. In short, he had stopped her on her way to church, to work, to rest, at all times, and every time, to make love to her, and finally she was on the point of consenting to marry him, if only to get rid of him.

“Marcelline, only name the day, and I vow I’ll never make love to you again,” said the soft Jaquino. This was so funny that Marcelline thought he was worth marrying for his drollery; but just as she was about to make him a happy man by saying “yes,” some one knocked upon the door, and with a laugh she drew away from him:

Oh, joy! once again I am free;
How weary, how weary his love makes me.

Quite disheartened, Jaquino went to open the door.

There had been a time before a certain stranger named Fidelio had come to the prison when Jaquino’s absurd love-making pleased Marcelline, but since the coming of that fine youth Fidelio, she had thought of little but him. Now, while Jaquino was opening the door, and she watched his figure (which was not at all fascinating), she murmured to herself:

“After all, how perfectly absurd to think of it! I shall never marry anybody but Fidelio. He is quite the most enchanting fellow I know.” At that moment Jaquino returned.

“What, not a word for me?” he asked, noting her change of mood.

“Well, yes, and that word is no, no, no! So go away and let me alone,” she answered petulantly.

Now Fidelio was certainly a most beautiful youth, but quite different from any Marcelline had ever seen. Fidelio observed, with a good deal of anxiety, that the jailer’s daughter was much in love with him, and there were reasons why that should be inconvenient.

Fidelio, instead of being a fine youth, was a most adoring wife, and her husband, Florestan, was shut up in that prison for an offence against its wicked governor, Pizarro. He had been placed there to starve; and indeed his wife Leonora (Fidelio) had been told that he was already dead. She had applied, as a youth, for work in the prison, in order to spy out the truth; to learn if her dear husband were dead or alive.

There was both good and bad luck in the devotion of the jailer’s daughter. The favourable part of the affair was that Leonora was able, because of her favouritism, to find out much about the prisoners; but on the other hand, she was in danger of discovery. Although the situation was tragic, there was considerable of a joke in Marcelline’s devotion to the youth Fidelio, and in the consequent jealousy of Jaquino.

Love of money was Rocco’s (the jailer) besetting sin. He sang of his love with great feeling:

Life is nothing without money,
Anxious cares beset it round;
Sad, when all around is sunny,
Feels the man whom none hath found.

But when to thy keeping the treasure hath rolled,
Blind fortune thou mayest defy, then;
Both love and power their secrets unfold,
And will to thy wishes comply, then.

Rocco was also a man of heart; and since hiring Fidelio (Leonora) he had really become very fond of the young man. When he observed the attachment between Fidelio and Marcelline, he was inclined to favour it.

Don Pizarro had long been the bitterest enemy of Don Florestan, Leonora’s husband, because that noble had learned of his atrocities and had determined to depose him as governor of the fortress prison.

Hence, when Pizarro got Florestan in his clutches, he treated him with unimaginable cruelties, and falsely reported that he was dead.

Now in the prison there had lately been much hope and rejoicing because it was rumoured that Fernando, the great Minister of State, was about to pay a visit of investigation. This promised a change for the better in the condition of the prisoners. But no one knew better than Don Pizarro that it would mean ruin to himself if Fernando found Don Florestan in a dungeon. The two men were dear friends, and so cruelly treated had Florestan been that Pizarro could never hope for clemency. Hence, he called Rocco, and told him that Florestan must be killed at once, before the arrival of Fernando.

Rocco refused point blank to do the horrid deed; but as a dependent he could not control matters, and hence he had to consent to dig the grave, with the understanding that Pizarro, himself, should do the killing.

Thus far, Fidelio had been able to find out nothing about her beloved husband, but she had become more and more of a favourite with the unfortunate old jailer, and was permitted to go about with a certain amount of freedom.

Upon the day when Pizarro had directed Rocco to kill a prisoner in a certain dungeon, she overheard a good deal of the plot, and she began to fear it might be her husband.

She went at once to Rocco:

“Rocco, I have seen very little of the prison. May I not go into the dungeon and look about?”

“Oh, it would never be allowed,” Rocco declared. “Pizarro is a stern and cruel governor, and if I should do the least thing he did not command, it would go hard with me. I should not dare let you do that,” he said, much troubled with the deed that was in hand.

“But wilt thou not ask him, Rocco?” Fidelio entreated so determinedly that Rocco half promised.

“Fidelio, I will tell thee. I have a bad job to do. It is to dig a grave in one of the dungeons.” Fidelio could hardly conceal her horror and despair. Her suspicions were confirmed. “There is an old well, covered by a stone, down there, far underground, and if I lift the stone that covers it, that will do for the grave. I will ask Pizarro if I may have thee to help me. If he consents, it will be thy chance to see the dungeons, but if not, I shall have done all I can about it.” So he went away to discuss the matter with Pizarro, while Fidelio waited between hope and despair.

Meantime, Pizarro was gloating over his triumph. Soon his revenge would be complete, and he sang of the matter in a most savage fashion:

Ha! what a day is this,
My vengeance shall be sated.
Thou treadest on an abyss!
For now thy doom is fated.

The words mean little, but Beethoven’s music to them means much:

Remember, that once in the dust I trembled,
’Mid mocking fiends assembled;
Beneath thy conquering steel,
But Fortune’s wheel is turning,
In torments thou art burning,
The victim of my hate.

The guards told one another that they had better be about their business, as some great affair seemed afoot.

Rocco entered again.

“I do not see the need for this killing,” he urged. “The man is nearly dead as it is. He cannot last long; but at least, if I must dig the grave, I shall need help. I have a youth in my service who is to marry my daughter thus I can count upon his faithfulness; and I had better be permitted to take him into the dungeon with me, if I am to do the work. I am an old man, and not so strong as I used to be.”

“Very well, very well,” Pizarro replied. “But see to the business. There is no time to lose.” And going back to Fidelio, Rocco told her the good news: that Pizarro had consented. Then she sang joyfully of it:

“But, Rocco, instead of digging a grave for the poor man, to whom we go, couldst thou not set him free?” she begged.

“Not I, my boy. It would be as much as my life was worth. I have not been permitted even to give him food. He is nearly dead from starvation already. Try to think as little as you can of the horrors of this place. It is a welcome release for the poor fellow.”

“But to have a father-in-law who has committed a murder,” Fidelio shuddered, trying to prevail upon Rocco by this appeal. But he sang:

“Nay, do not worry you’ll have no murderer for a father-in-law. Our only business is to dig the man’s grave.”

In spite of herself Leonora wept.

“Come, come. This is too hard for thee, gentle boy. I’ll manage the business alone.”

“Oh, no! No! I must go. Indeed I am not afraid. I must go with thee,” she cried. While she was thus distracted, in rushed Marcelline and Jaquino.

“Oh, father! Don Pizarro is frantic with rage. You have given the prisoners a little light and air, and he is raging about the prison because of this. What shall we do?” Rocco thought a moment.

“Do nothing! He is a hard man, I ” At that moment Pizarro came in.

“What do you mean by this? Am I governing this prison or are you?”

“Don Pizarro,” Rocco spoke calmly. “It is the King’s birthday, and I thought it might be politic for you to give the prisoners a little liberty, especially as the Minister was coming. It will look well to him.” At that Pizarro was somewhat appeased, but nevertheless he ordered the men back to their cells. It was a mournful procession, back to dungeon darkness. As they went they sang:

While they were singing, Rocco once more tried to soften Pizarro’s heart.

“Wilt thou not let the condemned prisoner live another day, your highness?” The request enraged Pizarro still more.

“Enough! Now have done with your whimpering. Take that youth of thine who is to help, and be about the job. Go! and let me hear no more.” With that awful voice of revenge and cruelty in her ears, the unhappy Leonora followed Rocco to the dungeons, to dig her husband’s grave.

ACT II

Down in the very bowels of the earth, as it seemed to Leonora, was Florestan’s dungeon. There he sat, manacled, despairing, with no ray of light to cheer him, and his thoughts occupied only with his visions of the beautiful home he had known, and of his wife, Leonora. When Leonora and Rocco entered the dungeon, Florestan had fallen, half sleeping, half dreaming upon the floor of his cell, and Leonora groped her way fearfully toward him, believing him to be dead.

“Oh, the awful chill of this vault,” she sobbed. “Look! Is the man dead, already, Rocco?” Rocco went to look at the prisoner.

“No, he only sleeps. Come, that sunken well is near, and we have only to uncover it to have the job done. It is a hard thing for a youth like thee. Let us hurry.” Rocco began searching for the disused well, into which he meant the body of Florestan to be dumped after the governor had killed him.

“Reach me that pickaxe,” he directed Fidelio. “Are you afraid?”

“No, no, I feel chilled only.”

“Well, make haste with the work, my boy, and it will warm you,” Rocco urged. Then while he worked and urged Fidelio to do the same, she furtively watched the prisoner whose features she could not see in the gloom of the cell.

“If we do not hurry, the governor will be here. Haste, haste!” Rocco cried.

“Yes, yes,” she answered, nearly fainting with grief and horror.

“Come, come, my boy. Help me lift this great stone which closes the mouth of the well.” The despairing Fidelio lifted with all her poor strength.

“I’m lifting, I’m lifting,” she sobbed, and she tugged and tugged, because she dared not shirk the work. Then the stone slowly rolled away. She was still uncertain as to the identity of the poor wretch who was so soon to be put out of existence. She peered at him continually.

“Oh, whoever thou art, I will save thee. I will save thee,” she thought. “I cannot have so great a horror take place. I must save him.” Still she peered through the darkness at the hopeless prisoner. At the same time her grief overwhelmed her, and she began to weep. The prisoner was roused, and plaintively thanked the strange youth for his kindly tears.

“Oh, whoever this poor man may be, let me give him this piece of bread,” Fidelio begged, turning to Rocco. (She had put bread into her doublet, thinking to succour some half-starved wretch.)

“It is my business, my boy, to be severe,” he said, frowning. He was sorely tried, for his heart was kind and yet he dared not show pity. But she pleaded and pleaded, and finally Rocco nervously agreed.

“Well, well, give it, boy. Give it. He will never taste food again,” and again the prisoner thanked Fidelio through the darkness of his cell. When he spoke she felt a strange presentiment. Suppose this should be the beloved husband whom she sought!

“Oh, gentle youth! That I might repay this humane deed!” the prisoner murmured, too weak to speak loudly.

“That voice it is strange to me, yet it is like some remembered voice,” Fidelio said to herself, and she clasped her hands upon her heart, because it seemed to beat so loudly that Rocco might hear it. While she wavered between hope and fear, Don Pizarro entered the dungeon. He had come at last for his revenge.

“Now, thou dog,” he said to the prisoner, “prepare to die. But before you die, you are to know to whom you owe the deed.” At that he threw off his cloak and showed himself to be Pizarro.

“It is Pizarro whom thou hast insulted. It is he who shall kill thee.”

“Do not think I fear a murderer,” Florestan replied, with what heroism his weakness would permit. At that Pizarro made a lunge at him with the knife, but Fidelio threw herself in front of him, suddenly recognizing him as he spoke to Pizarro.

“Thou shalt not kill him, unless thou kill his wife as well,” she screamed. Rocco, Florestan and Pizarro all cried out in amazement.

“Wife!” Florestan clasped her weakly to his heart. Pizarro rushed at Fidelio, becoming frantic with rage. He hurled her away and shouted:

“No woman shall frighten me! Away with ye! The man shall die.” Instantly, Fidelio drew a pistol and pointed it at the murderer.

“If he is to die, you shall die also,” she cried, whereupon Rocco shouted in fright, since it was a dreadful thing to try conclusions with the governor of the prison. Pizarro himself drew back with fear.

Then a fanfare of trumpets was heard, announcing the arrival of Fernando, the Minister.

“Hark!” Pizarro cried. “I am undone! It is Fernando!” The assassin began to tremble. But Florestan and Fidelio knew that liberty was near. One word of the truth to the Minister, one word that should tell him of the governor’s awful cruelty for a personal revenge, would set Florestan free and bring punishment to Pizarro. Then Jaquino hurried in:

“Come, come, quick! The Minister and his suite are at the gates.”

“Thank God,” said the kind-hearted jailer, under his breath. “The man is surely saved now. We’re coming, my lad, we’re coming,” he answered. “Let the men come down and bear torches before Don Pizarro. He cannot find his way out.” Rocco’s voice was trembling with gladness, Florestan was almost fainting with weakness because of the sudden joy that had come to him. Fidelio was praying to heaven in gratitude, while Don Pizarro was horrified at the thought of what his punishment would be.

The jailer and Don Pizarro ascended, and soon Fernando ordered all the prisoners of the fortress brought before him. He had come to investigate the doings of the governor who had long been known as a great tyrant. When the unhappy men, who had been abused by starving and confinement in underground cells, stood before him, the Minister’s heart was sorely touched, and Don Pizarro was more and more afraid. Presently, Rocco fearlessly brought Fidelio and Don Florestan in front of Fernando.

“Oh, great Minister, I beg you to give ear to the wrongs of this sad pair,” he cried, and as Fernando looked at Florestan his eyes filled with tears.

“What, you? Florestan? My friend, whom I have so long believed was dead? Thou who wert the friend of the oppressed, who tried to bring to punishment this very wretch?” he said, looking at Pizarro; and his speech revealed why Pizarro had wanted to revenge himself upon the unhappy noble.

“Yes, yes, it is Don Florestan, my beloved husband,” Fidelio answered, while the good Rocco pushed her ahead of him, closer to Fernando’s side.

“She is no youth, but the noblest woman in the world, Don Fernando,” Rocco cried, almost weeping in his agitation and relief at the turn things were taking for those with whom he sympathized.

“Just let me be heard,” Pizarro called, becoming more and more frightened each moment.

“Enough of thee,” Fernando answered, bitterly, in a tone that boded no good to the wretch. Then Rocco told the whole truth about the governor: how he, himself, had had to lend a hand to his wicked schemes, because as a dependent he could not control matters; and then all the prisoners cried out for Pizarro’s punishment.

Fernando commanded Pizarro to give Fidelio the key of the prison, that she, the faithful wife, should have the joy of unlocking the doors and giving her husband his freedom. All the other prisoners and Fernando’s suite, the jailer, his daughter, Marcelline, and Jaquino rejoiced and sang rapturously of Fernando’s goodness. Pizarro was left, still uncertain of his punishment, but all hoped that he would be made to take Florestan’s place in the dungeon and meet the fate he had prepared for the much abused noble.