Beethoven composed 9 synphonies, 5 piano concerti and more than 24 piano sonatas in his 57 years, but only one opera. And that opera had a painful birth, requiring 3 separate versions before it finally emerged in 1814 as Fidelio. The tale of a devoted wife rescuing her hasband from political persecution has emerged as the ultimate operatic depiction of freedom triumphing over political opression.