Page 141 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

CLASSICAL 1750–1820 139

See also: Stamitz’s Symphony in E-flat major 116–117 ■ Mozart’s Symphony
No. 40 in G minor 128–131 ■ Symphonie fantastique 162–163 ■ Schumann’s
Symphony No. 1 166–169 ■ Dvorˇák’s Symphony No. 9 212–215

with a dedication to Prince Franz
Joseph (who paid Beethoven
handsomely for it) and given the
subtitle “composed to celebrate
the memory of a great man.” The
I’ll give another most likely candidate for the
kreuzer if the thing “great man,” and the source of
will only stop! the title “Eroica” (Italian for
Audience member “heroic”), is Louis Ferdinand,
Public premiere of the “Eroica” (1805) Prince of Prussia, who was killed
in battle against the French in Ludwig van Beethoven
1806 and to whom Beethoven
had dedicated his Third Piano The son of an obscure court
Concerto, Op. 37, in 1803. musician, Beethoven was born
in Bonn in 1770. He moved to
Tearing up the rule book Vienna in 1792 and studied
obviously appealed to him, as Symphony No. 3 begins with briefly with Haydn and
around the same time he included a movement that was stretched Antonio Salieri. A prodigiously
it in a collection of 12 orchestral and expanded far beyond anything talented pianist, he made his
Contredanses (country dances) that Viennese audiences had name first as a virtuoso and
and Fifteen Variations and Fugue heard before. Instead of the acquired a number of wealthy
for solo piano, which would later carefully balanced proportions of noble admirers, who aided his
form the basis of the “Eroica” finale. the classical sonata form, where an establishment as a composer.
“exposition” and “recapitulation” In every musical genre he
A symphony takes shape match each other around a short explored, Beethoven was a
radical innovator, constantly
Beethoven began to plan his Third “development” section, with a surprising audiences. After
Symphony in autumn 1802, had brief “coda” (“tail” in Italian) to ❯❯ Haydn’s death in 1809, he was
a complete piano score by October the preeminent composer of
1803, and had an orchestrated his generation and a leading
version by early summer 1804. The figure in the new Romantic
work was first performed privately age. In a cruel twist of fate,
at the home of Prince Franz Joseph Beethoven started to lose his
von Lobkowitz, one of Beethoven’s hearing in his late 20s, and by
patrons and sponsors, and then 1818 he was nearly completely
given its public premiere at the deaf. Nevertheless, after this
Theater an der Wien, in Vienna. date, until his death in Vienna
The composer had intended in 1827, Beethoven wrote
to dedicate his work to Napoleon some of his most inventive
and radical works.
Bonaparte. But when the general
declared himself the Emperor of
France, Beethoven crossed his Other key works
name from the manuscript.
Removing the dedication made 1808 Symphonies No. 5 and
political sense: once Napoleon’s No. 6, Op. 67 and Op. 68
1818 Piano Sonata in B-flat,
invasion plans became clear, it The herioc deeds of Napoleon Hammerklavier, Op. 106
Bonaparte, depicted in Napoleon
would have been career suicide to Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis 1824 Symphony No. 9 in D
celebrate him in a new symphony. David (1748–1825), inspired Beethoven minor, Op. 125
The work was eventually printed to write the “Eroica” symphony.

US_138-141_Beethoven_Eroica.indd 139 26/03/18 1:00 PM