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LUDWIGVANBEETHOVEN SymphonyNo.3inE-Flatmajor,Op.55,Eroica BORN:December16,1770,inBonn DIED:March26,1827,inVienna WORKCOMPOSED:1803–04 WORLDPREMIERE:April7,1805,inVienna.Thecomposerconductedanorchestraassembledespecially fortheconcert. ItisnearlyimpossibletospeakofBeethoven’sThirdSymphony,Eroica,withoutresortingto superlatives.Morethanasingularmasterpiece,itisoneofthoserarecompositionsthatcameasatrue breakthrough,notonlyforitscreatorbutforanentireera. Beethoven’sfirsttwosymphonieshadextendedtheclassicalproceduresofMozartandHaydn,andthe composer,nowinhisearly30s,mightwellhavecontinuedwritinginthatvein.Buttheworldofthe nascent19thcenturywasnotthesameoneinwhichhisillustriouspredecessorshadlivedand worked.ThearistocracythatruledEuropewasundersiegebothpoliticallyand intellectually.RevolutionsinAmericaandFrancehadturnedthetheoriesoftheEnlightenmentinto practicalreality,andaheadysenseofnewpossibilitieswasintheair.Itwasatimeofidealismand,ina broadsense,ofheroism. Beethovenwasstronglyaffectedbythesenewcurrents.HeapplaudedtheFrenchRevolutionand remainedanardentdemocratthroughouthislife.Numerousanecdotesrecounthisrefusaltodeferto membersofthenobility,eventhosewhowerehispatrons.Itisnotsurprising,therefore,thatheshould haveplannedaworkhonoringapopularherolikeNapoleon,whichwashisoriginalintentioninwriting hisThirdSymphony.(Wemustrecallthatwhenthecomposerbeganworkonthispiece,earlyin1803, thebrilliantgeneralandFirstConsulwaswidelyperceivedasthedefenderoftheFrenchRevolutionand anembodimentofanewandhopefulpoliticalorder.NapoleontheemperorandscourgeofEuropewas stillathingofthefuture.) NorisitstartlingthatBeethovenshouldhaveoutgrownthecomparativelyrestrainedmusicalformsand languageofthepreviousgeneration.Bytheturnofthecentury,thecomposerhadbegunmoving towardslarger,morepotentmodesofexpression.HisSecondSymphonyandThirdPianoConcertoseem tostraintheboundariesoftheirClassical-periodmodels.Thesepieces,however,hardlyforetoldthe extraordinaryleaptakeninthe“EroicaSymphony.”Itslengthalone,nearlytwicethatofmostMozartor Haydnsymphonies,farexceededanysimilarwork.Yetitwasnotsomuchitsouterdimensionsasits innerlife,itstremendouspowerandpropulsivedrive,thatplacedtheEroicabeyondthepaleof18th centurymusicalcomportment. Beethovenmaintainedthatthiswashisfinestsymphony,andwhileitisdifficulttochooseamonghis worksinthisgenre,thereisreasontoagree.Nowhere,eveninhisFifthandNinthSymphonies,wasthe composermoresuccessfulinweldingawidearrayofthematicideasintoacohesivewhole,in developingthoseideastofilloutanexpansivecompositionalframe,orinextractingfromtheman arrestingmusicaldrama. Fromthispointofview,thewell-knownaccountofhowthecomposerangrilychangedthetitleonhis scorefromBuonapartetotheanonymousSinfoniaeroica(“HeroicSymphony”)afterlearningthat Napoleonhaddeclaredhimselfemperorhardlybearsretelling.Today,theconnectionbetweenthis musicandtheCorsicangeneralisnotparticularlyapparent.Likeallart,theThirdSymphonyreallytells usoftheartistwhoconceivedit.Beethovenhimself,whoovercametheadversityofhisgrowing deafnesstocomposethework,canrightlybeconsideredtheheroicfiguretowhichitstitlealludes. WhattoListenFor Thefirstmovement’sprincipalthemebeginsprosaicallybyoutliningthatmostcommonplaceharmony, amajortriad,butthendropsunexpectedlytwonotes,gainingtensionandenergy.Immediatelythe violinsaddanervousfigurethatfirmlyestablishesasenseofrestlessinvention.Thesefewgesturesand thosethatfollowpresentbarelyafragmentofrecognizablemelody,forBeethoven’screativefirekeeps themusictumblingintounexpectedharmonies,harmoniesthatthecomposersometimesreducesto one-ortwo-notefiguresofunadornedpower.Subsidiarythemes,suchastheonecomposedofthreenotefigurestossedamongthewoodwindsandviolins,maintainthefeelingofunstoppablemomentum. ThatfeelingonlyintensifiesasBeethovenembarksonanextraordinarilyimaginativefantasybasedon thetautthematicmaterialhehasestablished.Butthesearenotenough.Atlength,themusiccomesto aseriesofwrenchingchordsandanew,haunting,windsweptmelodyintroducedbytheoboes. Beethovenusestheoboeevenmoreprominentlyinthesecondmovement,entrustingtothat instrumentboththefuneralmarchthemeandthebrightersubjectoftheconsolatorycentralepisode. Thecomposer’sgruffhumorisabsentfromtheensuingscherzo.Insteadhegivesusanimble,dance-like movementwithanoble“horn-call”centralsection. Followinganinitialflourish,thefinalebeginsasasetofvariationsonabasslinepluckedoutbythe strings,thoughthetruethematicsubjectappearssomewhatlaterasamelodypresentedbytheoboe andendorsed,phraseforphrase,bytheorchestra.ButalthoughBeethovenalwaysfavoredthethemeand-variationsprocedureandworkeditmasterfully,hisexuberancenowprovestoogreatforthe comparativelyconfinedarchitectureofstrophicparaphrases.Beforelong,thesubjectspillsoutofthe strictvariationformatintocontrapuntalandotherunexpecteddevelopments,andfinallytoarousing conclusion. Scoredfor2flutes,2oboes,2clarinetsand2bassoons;3horns,2trumpets,timpaniandstrings. ©2016PaulSchiavo
