Title Page of Eroica with Napoleon's name erased
Online essay @ classicalnotes.net
Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in Eb major, which he named "Sinfonia Eroica," redefined the scope of symphonic composing. Taking about 50 minutes to perform, it was about 50% longer than the average symphony to that time (but Mozart's last two symphonies are about 40 minutes).
More importantly, it expanded the emotional scope of symphony writing. With it, Beethoven broke away from the tradition of Haydn and Mozart that remained in his first two symphonies.
Eroica means "heroic." The symphony was originality dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte because Beethoven had believed Napoleon to be bring the ideals of the Enlightenment to countries throughout Europe. But when Napoleon became Emperor of France in May of 1804, Beethoven struck the dedication claiming that Napoleon would become a power hungry despot instead of someone bringing about liberty and equality.
Eroica transverses a number of human emotions from despair and anger to acceptance and triumph. It is usually see as a metaphor for Beethoven's struggle with his encroaching deafness. After discarding Napoleon as the hero, Beethoven seems to have made himself the hero who faces adversity with resolve. More broadly, it came to represent the Romantic notion of the "artist as hero."
Reviews of the symphony's premier were largely negative and that is to be expected. The audience had never heard a symphony like it before and the complexities in the writing were overwhelming to grasp on first listen. Within a couple years it had grown in popularity, at least among the more progressive music fans of the period.
While several of the next five symphonies are considered great symphonies, it would not be until Symphony No. 9 in 1824 that Beethoven produced another symphony as large and complex as Eroica.
The premier of Eroica is often used to mark the beginning of Beethoven's "middle" period and sometimes to mark the beginning of the Romantic Era of music. Those claims, of course, are debatable.
Music (2.4) Symphony No. 3 in Eb major, Opus 55, "Eroica" (1803-1804, premier 4/7/1805)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann, director. Total Time = 57:00
Video: Michael Tilson Thomas explains Symphony No. 3, movment 1 (12:18)
Music (2.4.1) Movement #2 "Funeral March"
Music (2.4.2) Comparing the third movement minuet in Mozart's Symphony No. 40 with
Beethoven's third movement scherzo in Symphony No. 3. (6:00)
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