On May 23 1814, Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, after almost a decade of rewriting, has its premiere at Vienna’s Kärtnertortheater to great applause. The opera was first performed on November 20 1805 in a Vienna occupied by the French. It was a flop then. Beethoven rewrote it over the next ten years, until it became a success in 1814. He conducted at the premier, but because of his deafness, the musicians usually looked to the Kapellmeister behind him for direction. The crowd cheered after each act, and Beethoven was called onto the stage after each of the two acts.
pastnow 