Fidelio abandoned "Vestas Feuer" for "Fidelio", and was eventually freed from his obligations to Schikaneder when the latter was fired from his post as theater director in 1804. "Fidelio" itself, which Beethoven began in 1804 immediately after giving up on "Vestas Feuer", was first performed in 1805 and was extensively revised by the composer for subsequent performances in 1806 and 1814. Although Beethoven used the title ' ("Leonore, or The Triumph of Married Love"), the 1805 performances were billed as "Fidelio" at the theatre's insistence, to avoid confusion with the 1798 opera ' by Pierre Gaveaux, and the 1804 opera "Leonora"
Birmingham Opera Company been televised on the BBC, including the 2002 production of "Fidelio" broadcast live on BBC Four, and a film version of Verdi's "Othello" broadcast in 2011 alongside an hour-long documentary, "Verdi: The Director's Cut", featuring Graham Vick's work. "Othello" was furthermore featured on BBC Four's "Best of European Opera 2010", broadcast on Christmas Day 2010. In 2004 the Opera Company joined forces with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in a presentation of Benjamin Britten's "Curlew River" on the BBC Proms, which was also later televised on BBC Four. Birmingham Opera has a long history of collaboration with contemporary British composer Jonathan