Beethoven wrote a total of four overtures for his only opera, 'Leonore'/ 'Fidelio'. The so-called Leonore Overture no. 2 is first in the series by chronology and was written in 1805 for the premiere of the opera in Vienna.

It follows the concept of a summary of integral moments in the subsequent dramatic work, eschewing a formal closing by means of a recapitulation of the exposition. Instead, the double clarion call, which suggests the resolution of the conflict in the opera, leads directly t...