New-York tribune., 1909-08-08
G&Q BEETHOvENS ONLY OPERA AND ITS WCISSTUDES @x8&

NO. 2 and "L~onoTc No g'-"r.,-.e
u'ie ~ which Tn. opera vas kno, V~'ss -
'ioVens Hie after the unfortunate t..s
hhc". Ahs composer was never cors,,.., .7''e'r,-
chang. which was made b.,ausa 80 '.-.' 49, N''h n,
the story esAA the "Leonors' ons-. .-saliy O.
and fasr Much eOnfusion has sx,,fss S's-Aa1
"'.' e''" eNissS' lor that natter toscnt ~
'.ue' ~ "h'en tne -FOUR overtures ver. 60 Ue
Fhs early biozraphers we're r,f.s,l.- 0'''os-d.
point. and the blunder was peroesrs,ss on TIA:
h-rins when the scores were pubI,sbos Nm
"Lsonorc NO T. is the overture J,nc,,, = ne tras
ee'' Hoon1s Nner~ IL is occssiona1l, = 0'r cor
"Leonore No. g. This was the ,-t',sd eesd az
20 th> opera. and Vas performed az m. ...s'1's
.ofi''sh-sS IN i'Oo' The overture called 81
%'o was 'he result OF the revision anrar..,.
ny Beethoven and hts friends after sbe a<-7
May. fsoI. the German opera az Pragrs - "a
hsh-d and "Fieslio'' selected as on. -, - es'a'-
70 De given Evidently Beethoven VA. 5.-..as ausas
sosh with the original overture and iss -.,s
ne wrote new one. IN which he rass,.- ~
theme from Florestan's air. but none of tss-.. u,
themes used In Nos and g. The perfor,,a-.-
Prague did not take place. and nobdy SNOW '''
necame o' the autograph scores og sb. '
When Hs@,hOvsn's effect. were sold a. -, -
his death Tobias Haslinger bought a ,,H.',
dances ard other things IN manu.eri,.
sheni were score and parts OF an oversr. 4, =
not N Bse'hovs1's handwriting bus oor..,,-'
corrections made by HIM II bore no da..
violin part Beethoven had written Ar.s "o,.-.
Vionho iino. Later he had added words IA -
crayOn 20 make II read "Overfura A, r, - - ~
taristisehI Ouversure. Violin In1o' On Fa,- ,-''s
1873. the composition was played az a ,or.s-.
Vienna. but notwithstanding the renniniscsrs .
Flore,tan's air. IL does not seem TO have b.s, -
eia'ed with the opera. either BY Hasinssr o~ 8,
critics. Before 1892. when Haslinger publishes -.
overture as Op l3s. however. Il had been Idsnts.s
and. not unnaturally. the conclusion WAS tu,-,x..
tnat " "aa the original overture. That snoan a,
"LcOnOrs No. e. having been withdrawn f,-
vision by Beethoven himself was not heard !. IN
ls4o. when II was performed at a G-wanasauS -
cert in Lei9sic. For the revival OF the ouar, IN r.,
Beethoven composed the overture in z major -
called the "F'deliO'' overture and genersllv rls,
Introduction TO the opera the much -.
"LeonOre No. g. being played either betwse. ~
acts. or, as lately under Mailer In New Yor. H.
tween the TWO scenes Of the second act vb.-. I.
may be said Il distinctly has the effect Of an 49,,
climax. The thematic material OF the "Ieo,,-.s
ovsrtures Nos. and being practically the s.~,
careless listeners may easily confound on. ~.
the other Nevertheless the differences h.5s.s.
the two works are many and great and a ds.o n.
sight into the workings Of Beethoven's uIad -.
be vOuchsafed students IL they were brouxsf l-,,
tuytaDosition in the concert room. The reason eo-
monty given FOR the revision OF No . (the r..rv.
y Is that at the performance il was found M,
some OF the passages for wind instruments tzous.,
the players. but among the changes mads by b..
thov.n. all OF which tend heighten the la,.assr
OF the overture which presents the drama in me-.
may be mentioned the eision OF q r-currsnr. 4,
material drawn from his principal theme 5e,.~.
tho t~o trumpet calls and the abrid9smea. az Il.
development or free fantasia portion. Fnally h
may be stated that though the "FidslIo' ovs-.u,.
was written for the revival OF 1914 II was nor h-zi
at the first performance in that year. I. ss.re
ready. and the overture 70 The Ruins OF Athsus
was played IN It's stead. H. EH