Composed breathlessness
As with many copies of Beethoven's only opera, this copy of the version of the duet "Nur hurtig fort, nur frisch gegraben" ("Come get to work and dig") from 1806 also shows how Beethoven approached the best dramatic solution step-by-step. Beethoven's opera Leonore was composed in 1805, revised in 1806 and in 1814 was once again reworked into its present form, that of Fidelio. In the duet "Nur hurtig fort" Leonore and Rocco are digging Florestan's grave. A stone is obstructing them. "Komm hilf doch diesen Stein mir heben" ("Come, help me lift this stone") Rocco says to Leonore. Together they get down to work: "Ein wenig noch. - Geduld! - Er weicht! - nur etwas noch! - es ist nicht leicht! - nur etwas noch! - es ist nicht leicht! - nur etwas noch!" ("A little more. - Patience! - It's moving! - A little further! - It isn't easy! - A little further! - It isn't easy! - A little further!") Then they finally succeed. At this point Beethoven intervenes in the music in the revised version. As in the first version of 1805 the copyist noted the stage directions on leaf 9r (image 17): "Hier lassen sie den Stein über die Trümmer rollen, während dieses Rollen fängt die Musik wieder an, sie hohlen Atem, und Rocco fängt wieder zu Arbeiten an." ("Here they let the stone roll over the rubble; while it rolls, the music begins again, they catch their breath and Rocco gets down to work again.") Beethoven crosses out the whole page and the last bar on the previous page. Instead he depicts the two catching their breath in the music. It is not a great change but a significant one. In so doing he allows the singers to pause, writing a fermata to give them a short break. In the final version of 1814 he added a motif in the double basses to indicate the rolling of the stone. (J.R.)
