{"id":2608,"date":"2014-10-19T08:34:17","date_gmt":"2014-10-19T07:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/culturedallroundman.com\/?p=2608"},"modified":"2017-09-20T21:11:26","modified_gmt":"2017-09-20T20:11:26","slug":"behind-song-leonore-overture-farewell-amanda-one-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culturedarm.com\/staging\/5793\/behind-song-leonore-overture-farewell-amanda-one-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Song: Leonore Overture, ‘Farewell Amanda’, ‘One Night’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BTS101\"<\/a><\/p>\n

L<\/strong>udwig van Beethoven – Leonore Overture No. 1, Op. 138<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Leonore Overture No. 1 is the last of Beethoven\u2019s compositions by opus number, one of three pieces published and given an opus number posthumously. Despite the title of the piece, it was in fact the third overture composed by Beethoven for his only opera,\u00a0Fidelio<\/em>, Op. 72, which premiered in 1805.<\/p>\n

Beethoven ultimately went through three overtures for his opera before settling on a fourth. The first, known as the Leonore Overture No. 2, Op. 72a, was performed at the premiere, when the opera consisted of three acts. By the spring of 1806 Beethoven had pared down the opera to two acts, with a bold and dramatic overture, the Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b. The Leonore Overture No. 1 was a more restrained version, planned for a performance which was never undertaken in 1808. When Beethoven came to work on his opera again, for performance in 1814, he revised the overture once more, and it is this final version which stands as a part of the Fidelio<\/em> still performed today.<\/p>\n