The Symphony No. 3 in
E major,
Op. 55, (also Italian ''Sinfonia Eroica'', ''Heroic Symphony''; german: Eroica, ) is a symphony in four movements by
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
.
One of Beethoven's most celebrated works, the ''Eroica'' symphony is a large-scale composition that marked the beginning of the composer's innovative "middle period".
Composed mainly in 1803–1804, the work broke boundaries in symphonic form, length, harmony, emotional and cultural content. It is widely considered a landmark in the
transition between the
Classical and the
Romantic era. It is also often considered to be the first Romantic symphony.
Instrumentation
Symphony No. 3 is scored for two
flutes, two
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s, two
clarinets in
B, two
bassoons, three
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
(the 1st in E, C, and F; the 2nd in E and C; and the 3rd in E), two
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s in E and C,
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
in E and B (in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th movements) and in C and G (in the 2nd movement), and
strings.
Form
The work is in four
movements
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
:
Depending upon the conductor's style and observation of the
exposition
Exposition (also the French for exhibition) may refer to:
*Universal exposition or World's Fair
* Expository writing
** Exposition (narrative)
* Exposition (music)
*Trade fair
A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade e ...
repeat in the first movement, the performance time is between 41 and 56 minutes.
I. Allegro con brio
The first movement, in
time, is in
sonata form
Sonata form (also ''sonata-allegro form'' or ''first movement form'') is a musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of the 18th c ...
, with typical performances between 12 and 18 minutes long depending on interpretation and whether the
exposition
Exposition (also the French for exhibition) may refer to:
*Universal exposition or World's Fair
* Expository writing
** Exposition (narrative)
* Exposition (music)
*Trade fair
A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade e ...
repeat is played. Unlike the longer introductions in Beethoven's first two symphonies, the movement opens with two large E major chords, played by the whole orchestra, that establish the tonality of the movement.
The conductor
Kenneth Woods
Kenneth Allen Woods (born 1968) is an American conductor, composer and cellist, resident in the UK.
Early career
Woods studied conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His subsequent conducting mentors have includ ...
has noted that the opening movement of ''Eroica'' has been inspired by and modeled on Mozart's
Symphony No. 39, and shares many attributes of that earlier symphony which precedes this one by a decade and a half.
Exposition
The exposition begins with the
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...
s introducing the first
theme
Theme or themes may refer to:
* Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work
* Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos
* Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...
. By the fifth bar of the melody (
m. 7), a
chromatic note (C) is introduced, thus introducing the harmonic tension of the work. The melody is finished by the first
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
s, with a
syncopated series of Gs (which forms a
tritone
In music theory, the tritone is defined as a musical interval composed of three adjacent whole tones (six semitones). For instance, the interval from F up to the B above it (in short, F–B) is a tritone as it can be decomposed into the three adj ...
with C of the cellos). The first theme is then played again by the various instruments.
The
modulation to the
dominant key of
B appears early (mm. 42–44).
[ Cooper, Barry, ''Beethoven'' (Oxford University Press 2008)] In the traditional analysis, this is followed by three (or in some views, two)
transitional subjects that significantly expand the scale of the exposition – a lyrical downward
motif (mm. 45–56), an upward
scale motif (mm. 57–64), and a section beginning with rapid downward patterns in the violins (mm. 65–82). This eventually leads to a lyrical second theme (m. 83) that arrives "unusually late".
After this, the second half of the theme eventually builds to a loud melody (m. 109) that draws upon the earlier downward motif (m. 113). The climactic moment of the exposition arrives when the music is interrupted by six consecutive
sforzando chords (mm. 128–131). Later, and following the concluding chords of the exposition (mm. 144–148), the main theme returns in a brief
codetta
In music, a coda () (Italian for "tail", plural ''code'') is a passage that brings a piece (or a movement) to an end. It may be as simple as a few measures, or as complex as an entire section.
In classical music
The presence of a coda as a st ...
(m. 148) that transitions into the repeat / development.
An alternative analysis holds that the second theme begins earlier at m. 45 with the downward motif. In this view, the traditional harmonic progression of the exposition ends at m. 82, with the new lyrical theme at m. 83 beginning an extension. This pattern would be consistent with that found later in the development, in which the climactic moment leads to a new lyrical theme that launches an extended section. Moreover, the downward motif theme (m. 45) is developed significantly in the next section while the lyrical theme (m. 83) does not appear.
[Sipe, Thomas, ''Beethoven: Eroica Symphony'' (Cambridge University Press 1998)] Commenters have also observed that the sonata form and orchestration transitions would be fully preserved by cutting the second half of the exposition (m. 83–143).
However, others have observed that form and orchestration would also be fully preserved if the second and third transitional passages were cut instead (mm. 57–82),
consistent with the traditional analysis.
Development
The
development
Development or developing may refer to:
Arts
*Development hell, when a project is stuck in development
*Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting
*Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped
* Photograph ...
section (m. 154), like the rest of the movement, is characterized by harmonic and rhythmic tension from
dissonant
In music, consonance and dissonance are categorizations of simultaneous or successive Sound, sounds. Within the Western tradition, some listeners associate consonance with sweetness, pleasantness, and acceptability, and dissonance with harshness ...
chords and long passages of syncopated rhythm. Following various thematic explorations and
counterpoint, the music eventually breaks into a 32-bar passage (mm. 248–279) of sforzando chords including both 2-beat and 3-beat downward patterns, culminating in crashing dissonant
forte
Forte or Forté may refer to:
Music
*Forte (music), a musical dynamic meaning "loudly" or "strong"
* Forte number, an ordering given to every pitch class set
* Forte (notation program), a suite of musical score notation programs
* Forte (vocal ...
chords (mm. 276–279). Commenters have stated that this "outburst of rage ... forms the kernel of the whole movement", and Beethoven reportedly got out in his beat when conducting the orchestra in Christmas 1804, forcing the confused players to stop and go back.
Rather than leading to the
recapitulation at this point, a new theme in
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.
The E natural minor scale is:
:
Changes needed ...
is then introduced instead (mm. 284). This eventually leads to a near-doubling of the development's length, in like proportion to the exposition.
![FerdinandRies](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/FerdinandRies.jpg)
At the end of the development, one horn famously appears to come in early with the main theme in E (mm. 394–395), while the strings continue playing the
dominant chord
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree () of the diatonic scale. It is called the ''dominant'' because it is second in importance to the first scale degree, the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the dominant note is sung as "So ...
. In the 19th century, this was thought to be a mistake; some conductors assumed the horn notes were written in the tenor clef (B–D–B–F) while others altered the second violin harmony to G (chord of the tonic), an error that eventually appeared in an early printed version.
However, Beethoven's secretary,
Ferdinand Ries
Ferdinand Ries (baptised 28 November 1784 – 13 January 1838) was a German composer. Ries was a friend, pupil and secretary of Ludwig van Beethoven. He composed eight symphonies, a violin concerto, nine piano concertos (the first concert ...
, shared this anecdote about that horn entrance:
The first rehearsal of the symphony was terrible, but the hornist did, in fact, come in on cue. I was standing next to Beethoven and, believing that he had made a wrong entrance, I said, "That damned hornist! Can't he count? It sounds frightfully wrong." I believe I was in danger of getting my ears boxed. Beethoven did not forgive me for a long time.
Recapitulation and coda
The
recapitulation starts in the tonic E♭ major as expected, but then features a sudden excursion to
F major
F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor.
The F major scale is:
:
F major is the ...
early on
before eventually returning to a more typical form. The movement concludes in a long
coda that reintroduces the new theme first presented in the development section.
II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
The second movement is a
funeral march in the
ternary form
Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form consisting of an opening section (A), a following section (B) and then a repetition of the first section (A). It is usually schematized as A–B–A. Prominent examples inclu ...
(A–B–A) that is typical of 18th-century funeral marches,
[Roden, Timothy J.; Wright, Craig; and Simms, Bryan R., ''Anthology for Music in Western Civilization, Vol. 2'' (Schirmer 2009)] albeit one that is "large and amply developed" and in which the principal theme has the functions of a
refrain as in
rondo
The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period.
Etymology
The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round".
Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...
form.
[ Lockwood, Lewis, ''Beethoven's Symphonies – An Artistic Vision'' (W. W. Norton & Company, New York 2015)] Musically, the thematic solemnity of the second movement has lent itself for use as a funeral march, proper. The movement is between 14 and 18 minutes long.
The opening A-section in C minor begins with the march theme in the strings, then in the winds. A second theme (m. 17) in the
relative major (E) quickly returns to minor tonality, and these materials are developed throughout the rest of the section.
This eventually gives way to a brief B-section in
C major (m. 69) "for what may be called the Trio of the March",
which Beethoven unusually calls attention to by marking "Maggiore" (major) in the score.
At this point, the traditional "bounds of ceremonial propriety" would normally indicate a
da capo
Da capo (, also , ) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head"). It is often abbreviated as D.C. The term is a directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space, and thus is a ...
return to the A theme.
However, the first theme in C minor (m. 105) begins modulating in the sixth bar (m. 110), leading to a
fugue in
F minor
F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp mi ...
(m. 114) based on an
inversion
Inversion or inversions may refer to:
Arts
* , a French gay magazine (1924/1925)
* ''Inversion'' (artwork), a 2005 temporary sculpture in Houston, Texas
* Inversion (music), a term with various meanings in music theory and musical set theory
* ...
of the original second theme. The first theme reappears briefly in
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major.
According to Paolo Pietropaolo, it is the con ...
in the strings (m. 154), followed by a stormy development passage ("a shocking fortissimo plunge").
A full re-statement of the first theme in the original key then begins in the oboe (m. 173).
The coda (m. 209) begins with a marching motif in the strings that was earlier heard in the major section (at mm. 78, 100)
and eventually ends with a final soft statement of the main theme (m. 238) that "crumbles into short phrases interspersed with silences".
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio
The third movement is a lively
scherzo
A scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often re ...
with
trio in rapid time. It is between 5 and 6 minutes long.
The A theme of the outer scherzo section appears
pianissimo
In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
in the
dominant key of B (mm. 7, 21), then
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
in the secondary dominant key of F which is when the B part of the outer scherzo is heard (m. 41). This is followed by a pianissimo restart in B (m. 73), which is when the A theme is heard again, leading to a full
fortissimo
In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
statement in the tonic key of E (m. 93). Later, a downward
arpeggio motif with
sforzandos on the second beat is played twice in
unison
In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm.
Definition
Unison or per ...
, first by the strings (mm. 115–119) and then by the full orchestra (mm. 123–127). This is followed by a
syncopated motif characterized by descending fourths (m. 143), leading to the repeat.
The trio section features three horns, the first time this had appeared in the symphonic tradition.
The scherzo is then repeated in shortened form,
except that very notably the second occurrence of the downward unison motif is changed to
duple time (mm. 381–384). The movement ends with a coda (m. 423) – with Beethoven marking the word in the score which was unusual for him – that quickly builds from pianissimo to fortissimo, encapsulating the pattern of the whole movement.
IV. Finale. Allegro molto – Poco andante – Presto
The fourth movement is a set of ten
variations
Variation or Variations may refer to:
Science and mathematics
* Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon
* Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individua ...
on a theme. It lasts between 10 and 14 minutes. The theme was previously used by Beethoven in earlier compositions and arguably forms the basis for the first three movements of the symphony as well (see Thematic Origins below).
After a short introduction on the
tutti
''Tutti'' is an Italian word literally meaning ''all'' or ''together'' and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist. It is applied similarly to choral music, where the whole section or choir is called to sing. ...
that begins with the
mediant chord that transitions to the
dominant seventh
In music theory, a dominant seventh chord, or major minor seventh chord, is a seventh chord, usually built on the fifth degree of the major scale, and composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. Thus it is a major triad t ...
, the quiet theme, in
E-flat major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...
, first appears and then is subjected to a series of ten variations:
*Variation 1: The first variation repeats the theme in "
arco" while a new accompaniment is introduced. (
E-flat major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...
)
*Variation 2: The next variation, containing a new
triplet accompaniment, leads to: (
E-flat major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...
)
*Variation 3: Where a new melody is introduced while the theme is still played on the bass. A brief transitional passage leads to: (
E-flat major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...
)
*Variation 4: In
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major.
The C natural minor scale is:
:
Cha ...
, a fugue that starts quietly and suspensefully on the strings as it builds up to a dramatic and urgent climax. (See
Beethoven and C minor
The compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven in the key of C minor carry special significance for many listeners. His works in this key have been said to be powerful and emotive, evoking dark and stormy sentiments.
Background
During the Classical ...
.)
*Variation 5: The playful fifth variation is in
D major
D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor.
The D major scale is:
:
Ch ...
, involving a statement of the theme where the bass instruments play the first clause of the first half in a minor mode, before correcting themselves and moving to the major for the second clause. The variation also includes two virtuosic solo passages for the
flute which accompany the melodic line. This directly leads to:
*Variation 6: A stormy and raging variation in
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major.
According to Paolo Pietropaolo, it is the con ...
, reminiscent of a
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
style dance.
*Variation 7: An incomplete variation, which begins with a simple restatement of the first half of the theme in
C major, before an almost immediate switch back to the minor mode in order to bring the piece into:
*Variation 8: Another fugue, now it is bright and energized, as this time it is in the tonic (
E-flat major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...
) instead of the
submediant
In music, the submediant is the sixth degree () of a diatonic scale. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between tonic and subdominant ("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symmetrical to ...
. It builds up to a climax again; the orchestra pauses on the dominant of the home key, and the theme is further developed in:
*Variation 9: At this point, the tempo slows down to Poco Andante, and the piece becomes more serene and tranquil. The theme, first stated by an
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
and then by the strings, here is contemplative and wistful, bringing a greater sense of depth to what has been heard before. During the second half, another triplet accompaniment is introduced in the higher strings, while the melodies, played by the woodwinds, are made of syncopated
16th
16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and .
In English speech, ...
and
8th notes. (
E-flat major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...
)
*Variation 10: The final variation, which is when the "full image" of ''The Eroica'' is heard. Triumphant and heroic plunges are constantly heard on the tutti, with the triplet accompaniment from the previous variation still present, as the melody from the third variation, now victorious and energized, is heard on the brass. (
E-flat major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...
)
The symphony ends with a coda, which takes image on all previous sections and variations of the movement. At the end of the coda, there is a "surprise", which is when the dynamic changes from ' on the flute, bassoon, and strings only to ' all of a sudden by a huge crash on the whole orchestra, as the tempo abruptly changes to
Presto. A flurry of sforzandos appear, and the finale ends triumphantly with three large E-flat major chords on the tutti.
History
Beethoven began composing the third symphony soon after
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Opus 36 and completed the composition in early 1804. The first public performance of Symphony No. 3 was on 7 April 1805 in Vienna.
Thematic origins
![Beethoven 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Beethoven_3.jpg)
There is significant evidence that the ''Eroica'', perhaps unlike Beethoven's other symphonies, was constructed back-to-front.
The theme used in the fourth movement, including its
bass line
Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and some ...
, originate from the seventh of Beethoven's 12 Contredanses for Orchestra, WoO 14, and also from the Finale to his ballet ''
The Creatures of Prometheus
''The Creatures of Prometheus'' (german: Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, links=no), Op. 43, is a ballet composed in 1801 by Ludwig van Beethoven following the libretto of Salvatore Viganò. The ballet premiered on 28 March 1801 at the Burgth ...
'', Op. 43, both of which were composed in the winter of 1800–1801.
The next year, Beethoven used the same theme as the basis for his
Variations and Fugue for Piano in E♭ Major, Op. 35, now commonly known as the ''Eroica'' Variations due to the theme's re-use in the symphony. It is the only theme that Beethoven used for so many separate works in his lifetime, and each use is in the same key of E major.
The "Wielhorsky Sketchbook", Beethoven's principal sketchbook for 1802, contains a two-page movement plan in E major that directly follows the sketches for the Opus 35 Variations, which has been identified as being intended for the Third Symphony.
[Fishman, Nathan (ed.), ''Kniga eskizov Beethovena za 1802–1803'', 3 vols. (Moscow 1962). Citation based on unpaginated translation available a]
AllThingsBeethoven.com
"A translation of Nathan Fishman's analysis of the sketches for the Third Symphony contained in the Wielhorsky sketchbook" (visited 20 May 2017). While the movement plan gives no explicit indication regarding the finale,
Lewis Lockwood
Lewis H. Lockwood (born December 16, 1930) is an American musicologist whose main fields are the music of the Italian Renaissance and the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven. Joseph Kerman described him as "a leading musical scholar of the postw ...
argues that "there cannot be any doubt that Beethoven intended from the start" to use the same theme (and bass of the theme) that he had just fleshed out in the Opus 35 Variations. Thus, it is argued that Beethoven's initial conception for a complete symphony in E – including its first three movements – emerged directly from the Op. 35 Variations.
The first movement's main theme (mm. 2–6) has thus been traced back to the bass line theme of the Opus 35 variations (E, B↓, B↑, E) by way of intermediate versions found in one of Beethoven's sketchbooks.
In the second movement, the combined tonality (melody and bass) of the Opus 35 theme's first four bars – E, B↓, B7(A)↑, E – appears in slightly altered form as the funeral's march's second theme (E, B↓, A↑, E) (mvt. II, mm. 17–20), followed by two sudden forte Bs that echo later elements of the theme. That same tonality then appears unaltered as the scherzo's main theme (mvt. III, mm. 93–100).
Thus, the first three movements can be viewed as symphonic-length "variations" on the Opus 35 theme, ultimately anticipating the theme's appearance in the fourth movement. Moreover, Beethoven's choice to begin the symphony with a theme adapted from the bass line is also paralleled in the fourth movement, in which the bass theme is heard as the first variation before the main theme ultimately appears. This again parallels the structure of the Opus 35 variations themselves. Finally, the loud E chord that begins the Opus 35 variations themselves is moved here to the beginning of the first movement, in the form of the two chords that introduce the first movement.
Alternatively, the first movement's resemblance to the overture to the comic opera ''
Bastien und Bastienne
' (''Bastien and Bastienne''), K. 50 (revised in 1964 to K. 46b) is a one-act singspiel, a comic opera, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
' was one of Mozart's earliest operas, written in 1768 when he was only twelve years old. It was allegedly commi ...
'' (1768), composed by twelve-year-old W. A.
Mozart, has been noted.
It was unlikely that Beethoven knew of that unpublished composition. A possible explanation is that Mozart and Beethoven each coincidentally heard and learned the theme from elsewhere.
Dedication
Beethoven originally dedicated the third symphony to
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
, who he believed embodied the democratic and anti-monarchical ideals of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
. In the autumn of 1804, Beethoven withdrew his dedication of the third symphony to Napoleon, lest it cost him the composer's fee paid him by a noble patron; so, Beethoven re-dedicated his third symphony to
– nonetheless, despite such a bread-and-butter consideration, the politically idealistic Beethoven titled the work "Bonaparte". Later, about the composer's response to Napoleon having proclaimed himself
Emperor of the French
Emperor of the French (French: ''Empereur des Français'') was the title of the monarch and supreme ruler of the First and the Second French Empires.
Details
A title and office used by the House of Bonaparte starting when Napoleon was procla ...
(14 May 1804), Beethoven's secretary, Ferdinand Ries said that:
In writing this symphony, Beethoven had been thinking of Bonaparte, but Bonaparte while he was First Consul
The Consulate (french: Le Consulat) was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 10 November 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire on 18 May 1804. By extension, the term ''The Co ...
. At that time Beethoven had the highest esteem for him, and compared him to the greatest consuls of Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
. Not only I, but many of Beethoven's closer friends, saw this symphony on his table, beautifully copied in manuscript, with the word "Bonaparte" inscribed at the very top of the title-page and "Ludwig van Beethoven" at the very bottom ...
I was the first to tell him the news that Bonaparte had declared himself Emperor, whereupon he broke into a rage and exclaimed, "So he is no more than a common mortal! Now, too, he will tread under foot all the rights of Man, indulge only his ambition; now he will think himself superior to all men, become a tyrant!" Beethoven went to the table, seized the top of the title-page, tore it in half and threw it on the floor. The page had to be recopied, and it was only now that the symphony received the title ''Sinfonia eroica''.
An extant copy of the score bears two scratched-out, hand-written subtitles; initially, the Italian phrase ''Intitolata Bonaparte'' ("Titled Bonaparte"), secondly, the German phrase ''Geschriben auf Bonaparte'' ("Written for Bonaparte"), four lines below the Italian subtitle. Three months after retracting his initial Napoleonic dedication of the symphony, Beethoven informed his music publisher that "The title of the symphony is really ''Bonaparte''". In 1806, the score was published under the Italian title ''Sinfonia Eroica ... composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grande Uomo'' ("Heroic Symphony, Composed to celebrate the memory of a great man").
Early performances and reviews
Composed from the autumn of 1803 until the spring of 1804, the earliest rehearsals and performances of the third symphony were private, and took place in the
Vienna palace of Beethoven's noble patron,
Prince Lobkowitz. An account record dated 9 June 1804, submitted by the prince's
Kapellmeister Anton Wranitzky, shows that the prince hired twenty-two extra musicians (including the third horn required for the ''Eroica'') for two rehearsals of the work. The fee paid to Beethoven by Prince Lobkowitz would also have secured further private performances of the symphony that summer on his Bohemian estates, Eisenberg (Jezeří) and Raudnitz (Roudnice). The first public performance was on 7 April 1805, at the
Theater an der Wien
The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served prima ...
,
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
; for which concert the announced (
theoretical
A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...
) key for the symphony was
Dis (D major, 9
sharps).
['']Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians
''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...
'', 5th ed., 1954, Eric Blom, ed.
Reviews of the work's public premiere (on 7 April 1805) were decidedly mixed. The concert also included the premiere of a
Symphony in E flat major by
Anton Eberl (1765–1807) that received better reviews than Beethoven's symphony.
One correspondent describes the first reactions to the ''Eroica'':
Musical connoisseurs and amateurs were divided into several parties. One group, Beethoven's very special friends, maintains that precisely this symphony is a masterpiece.... The other group utterly denies this work any artistic value ... rough strange modulations and violent transitions ... with abundant scratchings in the bass, with three horns and so forth, a true if not desirable originality can indeed be gained without much effort. ...The third, very small group stands in the middle; they admit that the symphony contains many beautiful qualities, but admit that the context often seems completely disjointed, and that the endless duration ... exhausts even connoisseurs, becoming unbearable to the mere amateur. To the public the symphony was too difficult, too long ... Beethoven, on the other hand, did not find the applause to be sufficiently outstanding.
One reviewer at the premiere wrote that "this new work of B. has great and daring ideas, and ... great power in the way it is worked out; but the symphony would improve immeasurably if B. could bring himself to shorten it, and to bring more light, clarity, and unity to the whole." Another said that the symphony was "for the most part so shrill and complicated that only those who worship the failings and merits of this composer with equal fire, which at times borders on the ridiculous, could find pleasure in it". But a reviewer just two years later described the ''Eroica'' simply as "the greatest, most original, most artistic and, at the same time, most interesting of all symphonies".
The finale in particular came in for criticism that it did not live up to the promise of the earlier movements. An early reviewer found that "
e finale has much value, which I am far from denying it; however, it cannot very well escape from the charge of great bizarrerie." Another agreed that "
e finale pleased less, and that "the artist often wanted only to play games with the audience without taking its enjoyment into account simply in order to unloose a strange mood and, at the same time, to let his originality sparkle thereby". An exhaustive review of the work in a leading music journal made an observation that may still be familiar to first-time listeners: "this finale is long, very long; contrived, very contrived; indeed, several of
tsmerits lie somewhat hidden. They presuppose a great deal if they are to be discovered and enjoyed, as they must be, in the very moment of their appearance, and not for the first time on paper afterwards." A review of an 1827 performance in London wrote that this particular performance "most properly ended with the funeral march, omitting the other parts, which are entirely inconsistent with the avowed design of the composition".
The symphony premiered in London on 26 March 1807 at the
Covent Garden Theatre and in Boston on 17 April 1810 by the newly founded Boston Philharmonic Society, both performances receiving fairly mixed reviews.
Manuscripts and editions
The original autograph manuscript does not survive. A copy of the score with Beethoven's handwritten notes and remarks, including the famous scratch-out of the dedication to Napoleon on the cover page, is housed in the library of the
Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde
The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (), also known as the Wiener Musikverein (German for 'Viennese Music Association'), is an Austrian music organization that was founded in 1812 by Joseph Sonnleithner, general secretary of the Court Thea ...
in Vienna. A first published edition (1806) of Beethoven's ''Eroica'' is on display at the
Lobkowicz Palace
The Lobkowicz Palace ( cs, Lobkowický palác) is a part of the Prague Castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the only privately owned building in the Prague Castle complex and houses the Lobkowicz Collections and Museum.
The palace wa ...
in Prague.
Several modern scholarly editions have appeared in recent decades, including those edited by
Jonathan Del Mar
Jonathan Del Mar (born 7 January 1951) is a British music editor and conductor.
Biography
Jonathan Del Mar was born in London in 1951; his father was conductor Norman Del Mar. He studied at Christ Church, Oxford and the Royal College of Music ...
(published by
Bärenreiter), Peter Hauschild (
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf.
The catalogue currently contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...
), and Bathia Churgin (
Henle Henle can refer to:
* Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, a German physician, pathologist and anatomist (1809–1885)
** Loop of Henle in the kidney, named after Henle
*Fritz Henle, a photographer, known as "Mr. Rollei" for his use of the 2.25" square for ...
).
Assessment
Significance
The work is a milestone work in classical music; it is twice as long as the symphonies of
Joseph Haydn and
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
– the first movement is almost as long as a
Classical symphony (with repetition of the exposition). Thematically, it covers more emotional ground than Beethoven's earlier symphonies, and thus marks a key milestone in the transition between Classicism and
Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
that would define Western art music in the early decades of the nineteenth century.
The second movement especially displays a great emotional range, from the misery of the funeral march theme, to the relative solace of happier, major-key episodes. The finale displays a similar emotional range, and is given a thematic importance then unheard of. In earlier symphonies, the finale was a quick and breezy conclusion; here, the finale is a lengthy set of variations and a fugue.
Critical opinions and phrases
*
Hector Berlioz discussed Beethoven's use of the horn and the oboe, in the ''
Treatise on Instrumentation and Orchestration'' (1844, 1855).
*
J. W. N. Sullivan said that the first movement expresses Beethoven's courage in confronting deafness; the second movement, slow and
dirge
A dirge ( la, dirige, naenia) is a somber song or lament expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. Often taking the form of a brief hymn, dirges are typically shorter and less meditative than elegi ...
-like, communicates his despair; the third movement, the scherzo, is an "indomitable uprising of creative energy"; and the fourth movement is an exuberant outpouring of energy.
*
Richard Strauss presents themes similar to the funeral march, in ''
Metamorphosen, Study for 23 Solo Strings'' (1945). Some academics say the 'In Memoriam' sub-title refers to Beethoven.
* Leonard Bernstein said the first two movements are "perhaps the greatest two movements in all symphonic music", in the recording ''Eroica'' (1953) and book ''The Infinite Variety of Music'' (1966).
* Gareth Jenkins said Beethoven was "doing for music what Napoleon was doing for society – turning tradition upside down" and embodied the "sense of human potential and freedom" of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, in ''Beethoven's Cry of Freedom'' (2003).
* ''
BBC Music Magazine'' called it the greatest symphony, based on a survey of 151 conductors in 2016.
Use as funeral music
The symphony's second movement has been played as a funeral march at state funerals, memorial services, and commemorations including:
* the funeral of German composer
Felix Mendelssohn, in 1847.
* the funeral of German Field Marshal
Erwin Rommel, in 1944.
* to mourn the death of US President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, in 1945.
*to mourn U.S. President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
, in 1963.
* the funeral of the 11 Israeli athletes killed at the
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
.
Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a German-born conductor, pianist and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French citizen in 1938, and settled in the U ...
performed the entire symphony as the memorial concert for conductor
Arturo Toscanini, in 1957.
Cinema
''
Eroica'', a film based in part on Ferdinand Ries' recollection of the symphony's 1804 premiere, was released in 2003.
See also
*
Beethoven Symphony No. 3 discography
Notes
References
Further reading
*Burnham, Scott (1992). "On the Programmatic Reception of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony." ''Beethoven Forum'', vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–24.
*Downs, Philip G. (October 1970). "Beethoven's 'New Way' and the 'Eroica'." ''
The Musical Quarterly
''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including Ca ...
'', vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 585–604.
*Earp, Lawrence (1993). "Tovey's 'Cloud' in the First Movement of the Eroica: An Analysis Based on Sketches for the Development and Coda." ''Beethoven Forum'', vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 55–84.
*Eiseman, David (1982). "A structural model for the 'Eroica' finale?" ''College Music Symposium'', vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 138–147.
*Lockwood, Lewis (October 1981). "Beethoven's Earliest Sketches for the 'Eroica' Symphony." ''
The Musical Quarterly
''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including Ca ...
'', vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 457–478.
*Schleuning, Peter (1987). "Beethoven in alter Deutung der 'neue Weg' mit der 'Sinfonia eroica.'" ''
Archiv für Musikwissenschaft
The ''Archiv für Musikwissenschaft'' is a quarterly German-English-speaking trade magazine devoted to music history and historical musicology, which publishes articles by well-known academics and young scholars.
It was founded in 1918 as the s ...
'', vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 165–194.
*Schleuning, Peter (1991). "Das Uraufführungsdatum von Beethovens 'Sinfonia eroica.'"
Die Musikforschung
''Die Musikforschung'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of musicological which since 1948 is published on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Musikforschung by Bärenreiter. The editors-in-chief are Panja Mücke ( Hochschule für Musik ...
, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 356–359.
*Sheer, Miriam (Autumn 1992). "Patterns of Dynamic Organization in Beethoven's Eroica Symphony." ''
The Journal of Musicology
''The Journal of Musicology'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of musicology published by University of California Press
The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the ...
'', vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 483–504.
*
Steblin, Rita (Spring 2006). "Who Died? The Funeral March in Beethoven's 'Eroica' Symphony." ''
The Musical Quarterly
''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including Ca ...
'', vol. 89, no. 1, pp. 62–79.
*Wade, Rachel (October–December 1977). "Beethoven's Eroica Sketchbook." ''Fontes Artis Musicae'', vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 254–289.
*Wen, Eric (February 2005). "Beethoven's meditation on death: the funeral march of the 'Eroica' symphony." ''Dutch Journal of Music Theory'', vol. 10, pp. 9–25.
External links
* Reviews and further information:
*
A site about the ''Eroica''*
Program notes for the Philadelphia Orchestra**
**
**, article about the debate between the two men on fugal theory and practice during the symphony's gestation
* Sheet music:
*
**
* Media:
Eroica websitefrom SF Symphony's 'Keeping Score' with Analysis, Background and Commentary by
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of ...
(needs Flash).
Discovering Music BBC Radio 3. Videos of an analysis and complete performance of the symphony. The analysis is by Stephen Johnson and the symphony is performed by the
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) ( cy, Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC) is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisatio ...
, under Christophe Mangou. Listening notes for the symphony are also availabl
here
{{Authority control
1803 compositions
1804 compositions
Compositions in E-flat major
Music with dedications
03