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Subject Area: Music
Topic: Opera and Liberty

FINALE.—SCENE IX. - Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven’ s Opera Fidelio. German Text, with an English Translation [1805]

Edition used:

Beethoven’ s Opera Fidelio. German Text, with an English Translation (Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1864).

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


FINALE.—SCENE IX.

Chorus—of Prisoners.

  • Oh, what a pleasure once again
  • Freely to breathe the fresh air!
  • In Heaven’s light we live again;
  • From death we have escaped.

One of them.

  • Let us in Heaven trust;
  • On Heaven depend our hopes:
  • He will on our griefs look with pity.
  • On His goodness all things depend.

All.

  • Oh, liberty! oh, salvation!
  • Oh, God, upon our miseries have pity!

[Here an Officer appears on the wall, and again retires.

Prisoner.

  • Silence! make no noise!
  • Pizarro’s eyes and ears are o’er us!

All.

  • Silence! make no noise!
  • Pizarro’s eyes and ears are o’er us!
  • Oh! what a pleasure once again
  • Freely to breathe the fresh air!
  • In Heaven’s light we live again;
  • From death we have escaped.

[Before the Chorus has finished, Rocco appears in the background, and talks eagerly to Leonora. The Prisoners retire into the Garden.