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Beethoven: "Leonore" Overture No. 3 in C Major

DW staff (kjb)September 1, 2008

Beethoven's "Leonore" Overture Nr. 3 illustrates the central theme of "Fidelio," Beethoven’s only opera: abuse of power and individual heroism for the sake of liberty and human rights.

https://p.dw.com/p/F7i7
Former German Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich Genscher, North-Rhine Westphalia Premier Juergen Ruettgers, and Bonn Mayor Baerbel Diekmann
High-ranking politicians attended the opening concertImage: Barbara Frommann / Beethovenfest

That Beethoven struggled with the idea of depicting these concepts in music can be seen in the fact that this is only one of four different overtures he wrote for the opera.

Performing is the German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen, hailed by critics as "the best chamber orchestra in the world," under the baton of its principal conductor, Paavo Jarvi. They opened the 2008 Beethovenfest with the work at a gala concert on Aug. 29, 2008.