Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Duration: 47 min
With the Eroica, Beethoven carries us from the opening surge to the funeral march, then on to a finale that reinvents itself.
Two forthright chords launch a journey far vaster than they first appear. Beethoven stretches forms, sets instruments in dialogue, and develops a few ideas over the course of this adventure. To explore the work, simply follow its shifts in character rather than trying to remember everything at once.
Listen for four faces: the initial impetus, the funeral march, a springing third movement, then a finale that transforms a theme already used in a ballet. The contrasts become landmarks, and the exchanges between instruments sketch the whole.
The story that Beethoven crossed out Napoleon’s name after his coronation is famous, but was recorded retrospectively and remains uncertain. The 1806 edition, however, carries a dedication to the memory of a great man.
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