The World's Most Famous Operas — "Fidelio"

Music: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770–1827
Translated into Arabic by Samir Shikhani

An opera in two acts, first produced in Vienna in 1805.

The characters:
• Florestan, a Spanish nobleman
• Leonora, his wife (disguised as Fidelio)
• Don Pizarro, governor of the fortress-prison near Seville
• Rocco, the jailer
• Marcellina, his daughter
• Jaquino, Rocco's assistant
• Don Fernando, Prime Minister of Spain
• Prisoners, soldiers, townspeople

Time: the eighteenth century.
Place: the city of Seville (in Spain).

Act One

Scene One: the courtyard of the fortress-prison.

Two years before the events of this story begin, Don Pizarro threw into prison a Spanish nobleman named Florestan without any shadow of right, and no reasons were given at the time to justify the act. And since Don Pizarro, the governor of the prison, enjoyed wide powers, he subjected Florestan to the ugliest kinds of treatment. Leonora, Florestan's wife, refuses to persuade herself that her husband could have died, and believes that he is being held in solitary confinement. In order to learn the truth of the matter, and to work for his rescue if possible, she disguises herself in men's clothing and succeeds in obtaining employment with the jailer Rocco.

In the first scene we see the gray walls of the prison on one side, and on the other the gate of the cheerful little house in which Rocco lives — set amid the grimness of the prison, it is like nothing so much as an oasis in a barren desert... Rocco has a daughter of great charm and coquetry named Marcellina, whom we see, as the story opens, busy ironing clothes at a small table outside the gate of the house.

She was not alone: beside her stood Jaquino, her father's young assistant, asking her in agitation why she had been avoiding him of late, and when she would utter the word "yes" and accept him as the partner of her life. The truth, however, is that Marcellina has lost all interest in Jaquino and has begun dreaming of Fidelio, her father's new young assistant. She sings the song "Ah, if only I were married!", into which she pours her overflowing longing.

Rocco enters and dispatches Jaquino to his work. No sooner does he ask his daughter whether Fidelio has returned than a knock is heard at the door... It is Fidelio, back from the errand on which Rocco had sent him, carrying with him, among other things, some letters for the governor, Don Pizarro. No wonder that Marcellina fell in love with Fidelio, for Leonora in her disguise made a young man of handsome countenance. Nor is it any wonder that Rocco approved and encouraged his daughter in her infatuation. As for Leonora, she is in an awkward predicament, but she must go on playing her part in order to carry out her mission as well as she can.

Jaquino returns, and the four of them sing a song begun by Marcellina, the others joining in one after another... Marcellina amorous, Leonora anxious, Rocco indulgent, and Jaquino jealous!

Fidelio asks Rocco whether he might render him a greater service in other work, and proposes to be assigned to the underground cells of the prison. Rocco replies that these cells hold prisoners of state, and that the orders issued to him forbid anyone whatsoever from seeing them. The infatuated Marcellina, however, assures him that the governor would not object to so pleasant a youth as Fidelio helping her father in all his labors. Rocco agrees to ask Don Pizarro's leave in this matter, but he is more than certain that there is at least one dungeon the governor will allow no one to enter. The prisoner in it has passed two years in solitary confinement, and is slowly dying of neglect and hunger. Leonora suspects that this wretched prisoner is none other than her husband,

and declares that she would be glad if she were permitted to visit that dreadful place in Rocco's company. Rocco smiles indulgently and promises to speak to Don Pizarro at the earliest possible opportunity.

Scene Two: the same as in the first scene. Military music sounds, and Don Pizarro enters the prison courtyard escorted by a detachment of soldiers. Some of them are posted to guard the walls and the drawbridge, and he issues strict orders that he be alerted the instant anyone approaches the fortress. Rocco hands him the letters that Fidelio had brought. No sooner has he read them than his face darkens and he mutters a few inaudible words. The document that has alarmed him is a notice stating that the Prime Minister is coming to inspect the prison, word having reached him that certain political prisoners have been thrown into it unlawfully. Pizarro knows that this matter concerns Florestan, and so he resolves to finish off this prisoner and conceal his corpse before the head of the government arrives. He orders one of the officers to climb the watchtower with a trumpet, on which to sound the warning signal upon the approach of the First Minister's carriage coming from Seville. On Pizarro's features appear the marks of a devilish glee, whose source is the destruction of Florestan, his old and bitter enemy.

Pizarro leans toward Rocco and hands him a purse stuffed with gold coins, saying to him: "There are others besides it, if you obey orders." And when he asks what these orders are, Pizarro answers that there is a political prisoner whom the interests of the state require to be put out of the way. Rocco proudly refuses to receive any such orders, protesting that he is a jailer, not an executioner. Thereupon Pizarro declares that he will carry out the task himself, asking Rocco at least to dig the grave. There is an empty cistern in the dungeon that holds Florestan; Pizarro orders Rocco to open it, that the prisoner's corpse may be thrown into it after he is killed. He impresses upon him the need for haste, telling him that he will join him in the dungeon in a few minutes.

Leonora hears this whole conversation without the least suspicion crossing the mind of Rocco or Pizarro; she rushes out of her hiding place after they leave and sings her fear and horror in the song: "O monstrous creature, what will you do?" Her one hope is that her love for Florestan will give her the strength and courage to face whatever the future may spring upon her.

As Leonora goes out into the little garden adjoining the gate of the house, Marcellina and Jaquino enter the prison courtyard, their gaiety transforming the somber atmosphere that has ruled the scene until now. And here is Jaquino, still imploring Marcellina to give up her dreams and her love for the handsome Fidelio and return to his own true love; but she pays no heed to his words.

Leonora returns from the garden in Rocco's company, begging him to allow her to bring the prisoners out of their cells to enjoy a little of the sunshine and the fresh, reviving open air. Rocco is a kind-hearted man who finds it difficult

to refuse any request from this young man who has won his admiration; and so he permits him and Jaquino to open the doors of the cells and release the prisoners, while he himself goes off to ask the governor whether he may take his young helper along on his dreadful errand. The prisoners come out into the prison courtyard, where the bright rays of the sun dazzle them; they put their hands before their eyes and walk swaying from sheer weakness, then sing a beautiful and moving song that opens: "Ah, what happiness!"

Rocco returns and announces to Fidelio that the governor has agreed to let him accompany him down to where Florestan is imprisoned underground, and has likewise approved the marriage of Fidelio and Marcellina; and he explains to him that his task is confined to helping him dig the grave for the prisoner who is to be killed. Leonora's limbs tremble, but she resolves to surmount every obstacle in the hope of rescuing her husband Florestan.

Pizarro comes on, and a violent rage seizes him at the sight of the prisoners outside; he issues his orders for their immediate withdrawal to their cells, and commands Rocco to take up his tools and go down to the underground dungeon, for there is no time to spare.

Act Two

Scene One: Florestan's dungeon.

Here is Florestan in his dark prison, lying silent, bound in chains, having lost all hope of deliverance; he awaits death calmly, repeating a sweet air that opens "In the springtime of life," into which he pours the memories of his past life and his married happiness at Leonora's side. He imagines Leonora before him, but the vision fades after a few moments, and he sinks back, his strength spent and his nerves worn out.

The prison door opens, and Rocco and Fidelio creep cautiously down the stone stair at the back by the light of a lamp Rocco carries; they set about opening the mouth of the cistern with pick and shovel. Leonora cannot make out the prisoner's features clearly because of the darkness, but she knows his voice — Florestan's voice — when he calls to Rocco and begs him to give him water. The kind-hearted Rocco gives him a draught of wine to drink. A little later Rocco gives the whistle agreed upon between himself and Pizarro, the signal that the cistern has been made ready to be Florestan's final resting place.

Pizarro arrives and orders Rocco to send Fidelio away, but the latter refuses to go. Florestan recognizes his old and bitter enemy Pizarro, and learns that it was he who threw him into prison; he accuses him of being a criminal. Pizarro draws his dagger, but before he can plunge it into the unarmed Florestan, Fidelio leaps forward and stands between them, crying: "Kill me before you kill him! I am his wife!" Pizarro tries to thrust Leonora aside — whereupon she draws a pistol and levels it at him.

At that instant there pierces the prison walls

a sound that changes the whole situation. It is the note of the trumpet, sounded by the watchman at the top of the tower, announcing the arrival of the Prime Minister's procession. Rocco cries out: "Thank God!" And Pizarro leaves the prison trailing the skirts of defeat, rage, and terror... Leonora embraces her husband after the long separation and helps him to rise; and as she helps him climb the stone stair toward light and freedom, they sing together the song "O happiness beyond words!"

Scene Two: a public square before the fortress-prison.

The public square before the prison fortress is bathed in sunlight. The Prime Minister of Spain, Don Fernando, and the governor of the fortress, Don Pizarro, are seated in the pavilion overlooking the square, where the people have gathered to welcome the great visitor. And here they are receiving him and bidding him welcome; he replies that he has come only to do justice to all.

Rocco leads in Leonora and Florestan and asks justice for her. Don Fernando is astonished to see his old friend Florestan, whom he had believed dead. When he asks for an explanation of the case, Rocco tells him the story from beginning to end. Don Pizarro tries in vain to interrupt him in order to clear his own name. It is not long before the Prime Minister orders his immediate arrest, and his imprisonment in the very fortress he governed with cruelty and savagery.

Rocco is delighted at what has happened; and though he grieves at losing Fidelio, whom he had promised himself as a son-in-law, he consoles himself that Marcellina can now return to her first love, the faithful Jaquino. Don Fernando hands Leonora the keys to strike the fetters from her poor husband, saying that she is the worthiest of all to shatter the last symbol of the injustice that befell him.

And the assembled throng joins in singing a song in which they extol the faithful wife and the triumph of faith and love over cruelty and injustice...