Beethoven wrote one opera, and he wrote it three times. The first version had its premiere on 20 November 1805, after more than two years of work. A revised version followed on 29 March 1806, and Beethoven withdrew it after the second performance. The third version, now called Fidelio, was first performed on 23 May 1814. The revision took him almost half a year. Along the way he wrote four overtures for the work: Leonore I, II and III, and the Fidelio overture. He wrote to his librettist Treitschke: die oper erwirbt mir die Martirerkrone. The opera is earning me the martyr’s crown.