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
Constantinus Fidelio Coene Constantinus Fidelio Coene Constantinus Fidelio Coene, a painter of history, genre, and landscape, was born in 1780 at Vilvoorden. He first studied under Hendrik van Assche, and in 1809 removed to Amsterdam and became the pupil of Barbiers. He then went to Brussels, and in 1820 was made Professor at the Academy. His picture of 'Rubens receiving from Charles I. the sword with which he had been knighted ' gained for him the grand prize at Ghent, and is now in the Museum of that city. His 'Soldier returning from the Battle of Waterloo' also gained him much praise. He