Opera in German The years following the French Revolution of 1789 had been some of the most turbulent in European history. In "Fidelio", Beethoven wanted to express the ideals of that Revolution: liberty, equality and fraternity. He was also inspired by contemporary French works, particularly the "rescue operas" of Luigi Cherubini. Beethoven was arguably not a natural composer of opera and, although "Fidelio" was premiered in 1805, it was not until 1814 that he produced its final version. Nevertheless, Fidelio is widely regarded as a masterpiece and is one of the key works in the German repertoire. In the early years of the
The Sound of a Voice (opera) The Sound of a Voice (opera) The Sound of a Voice is a 2003 operatic adaptation of the play "The Sound of a Voice" by American playwright David Henry Hwang. The music is written by American composer Philip Glass and the libretto is written by Hwang. The opera is made up of two short operas: "The Sound of a Voice" and "Hotel of Dreams". The opera is notable for being specifically written for the theatre and not an opera house. It had its premiere on May 24, 2003 at the American Repertory Theatre. It was directed by Robert Woodruff and