Le Fidelio de Beethoven

Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, composed between 1804 and 1814, presents a heroic vision of conjugal love, at the same time as denouncing arbitrariness and celebrating freedom. This book, the result of a joint Franco-German research project, aims to provide as stimulating and original an overview as possible.

Researchers from various disciplines (musicology, history, law, literature) and representatives of the musical and theatrical scene (directors, performers) examine the transfers, transnational circulations and appropriations to which Fidelio has been subjected, from its genesis to the present day, in Europe and on other continents. Analysis of the socio-cultural and political contexts of Fidelio's many productions, performances and receptions locates aesthetic and philosophical readings of the work within cultural history.