Program Notes

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Symphony No. 3 in E flat Major, Op. 55, "Eroica" (1803-04)

Ludwig van Beethoven, a staunch believer in the rights of men, truly wanted to believe that Napoleon Bonaparte would be the savior of Europe. He boldly applauded Napoleon's ideals, which seemed to reflect the revolutionary cry of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, but the more he heard about the general's actions, the less sure he was that these ideals would be carried out. He identified with this self-made man, but on the other hand, Beethoven had spent most of his life currying favor from the aristocracy, and even trying to gain acceptance as one of them. He also counted several aristocrats amongst his friends and patrons, and must have felt uneasy as to their fate, especially now that Napoleon's troops had occupied Vienna.

His ambivalence aside, those closest to Beethoven must have been surprised when he decided, in 1803, to dedicate a symphony to the ambitious general. As recently as 1796, the composer violently rejected a suggestion that he should write a sonata in honor of the French leader, but now Beethoven seemed favorably disposed toward him, if still cautious. In any case, the dedication stood – for the moment.

One thing that Beethoven realized from the start was that a symphony on such a grand scale required that he completely re-think the whole of symphonic structure. In the process, Beethoven ushered in what has been referred to as his heroic period. Much of the music written during the next ten years would stand for revolution, rebirth, and triumph. Beethoven created music of incredible breadth, depth of emotion and overwhelming dramatic intensity. Here the composer used every single aspect of musical construction - form, harmony, dynamics, variation, development—not just to manipulate them into a musical idea, but to conform them to his will.

Shortly after completing the symphony Beethoven received word that Napoleon had declared himself emperor of France. Upon hearing the news, Beethoven picked up the title page of the symphony which bore the dedication to Bonaparte and tore it in two saying, "He, too, is nothing but an ordinary man. Now he will trample under foot the rights of man. He will set himself on high and become a tyrant!" When the title page was replaced, the work was now called Sinfonia Eroica (Heroic Symphony) composed to celebrate the memory of a great man .

Needless to say, the premier in 1804 was not met with universal acclaim. Naturally, such a departure from expectation would create conflict in its first listeners. The whirlwind of ideas piled up and thrust out at the audience must have been pretty overwhelming. Even those who recognized it as a work of genius, still couldn't have completely understood what Beethoven had done. Perhaps slow to catch on, but soon Beethoven's inner vision would shake the musical foundations of the world, and cause even the stoic tradition-mongers to see things in a new and better way, surely the true intention of any revolution.

The symphony opens with a tremendous chord played and repeated, followed by the first theme, which is in reality simply the notes of the chord played one by one. Throughout the work Beethoven will introduce fragments of melody that seem unrelated, but which will become one with the structure of the whole. Throughout, intense rhythms, sudden dynamic changes, unorthodox key relationships and devastating emotion, punctuated by dramatic silences dominate the movement.

The second movement is a funeral march, a massive lament that gradually builds to a grand and majestic utterance. The middle section swells to shattering intensity, soon winding down to a restatement of the opening dirge. In the coda the music seems to brighten a bit, but the music's original ominous intent takes over once more. The quiet foreboding that is established is crushed by a final outburst, and the movement dies away with a subdued moan of grief.

The third movement seems to know nothing of what has come before it. It begins barely above a whisper with a sunny and infectious vitality that sounds, nonetheless, rhythmically uncertain. The full orchestra, suddenly overcome with emotion, takes up the theme in full voice. The first section continues these jarring dynamic contrasts without sacrificing the lively rhythms. This middle section trio is dominated by horn fanfares in three-part harmony.

The finale is a set of variations that utilize the theme of a contradance that has become very familiar in Beethoven's music. The composer would use it again in a set of piano variations, and in his ballet The Creatures of Prometheus . Beethoven's invention is everywhere evident in this movement where massive fugal structures give way to playfulness, serenity, majesty and charm, but never lose sight of the work's overarching heroic intent. In the final variation, a series of mammoth chords bring the work to its inevitably bold conclusion.