It's Monday evening. I have got over my Monday working day; always tough but I have found the energy to complete a 5k run after work, watch Coronation St on ITVX ahead of tonight's broadcast, and now I am free to attend an evening at the Royal Albert Hall, via BBC Radio 3, starting 19:30 hours.
Two composers: one I am not at all familiar with, and another one I am much more familiar with - I'll not insult your intelligence by indicating which one is which.
First up is Earth Dances by Harrison Birtwistle. It's a dark, unsettling opening. The presenter explains it's a full orchestra tonight, the sound of which is evident from the very beginning. Just what I like to hear!
The word 'unsettling' is sustained in my mind as the piece progresses. There are some suspenseful moments which would not be out of place in a edge-of-your-seat thriller movie.
I wash the dishes during the interval. Not a huge task tonight. Risking an accusation of inverted snobbery, I start wondering who of my fellow Radio 3 listeners have just enjoyed a beans-on-toast?
Beethoven's Eroica. Believe it or not, I have actually seen this piece played before. It was at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in, I think, the January or February of 2019 (just pre-lockdown, one notes now).
At the last part of the interval I catch in interesting informational nugget from the presenter. He tells us of a connection between Beethoven and Napoleon. Didn't know that! Chat GPT (my modern-day Ask Jeeves) confirms this in 'eroic fashion:
I ask:
"Is there a connection between Beethoven's Eroica and Napoleon?"
ChatGPT said:
Yes — there's a very strong historical connection between Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, "Eroica", and Napoleon Bonaparte, though it turned sour in dramatic fashion.
🎼 The Background
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In the early 1800s, Beethoven greatly admired Napoleon.
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He saw him as a symbol of Enlightenment ideals — a leader who rose through merit, not nobility, and someone who might bring liberty and equality to Europe, in the spirit of the French Revolution.
📝 Original Dedication
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Beethoven initially dedicated his Symphony No. 3 to Napoleon.
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The symphony was even originally titled:
"Bonaparte"
(Beethoven's sketchbooks and letters confirm this.)
💥 The Turning Point
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In 1804, Napoleon declared himself Emperor of the French.
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Beethoven felt betrayed, seeing Napoleon as having abandoned the democratic ideals he once championed.
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According to Beethoven's pupil Ferdinand Ries:
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When Beethoven heard the news, he tore the title page in anger, shouting:
“So he is no more than a common mortal! Now he too 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!”
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🎻 Final Title
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The symphony was published in 1806 with a new title:
“Sinfonia Eroica, composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grand’uomo”
(“Heroic Symphony, composed to celebrate the memory of a great man”) -
That “great man” was no longer Napoleon, but possibly an abstract ideal, or even a mourning of lost hope.
🧠 Why It Matters
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The Eroica is often seen as the beginning of the Romantic era in music.
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It reflects Beethoven’s internal struggles and ideals, not just political ones — a heroic journey through conflict, death (the funeral march), and eventual triumph.
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