jan 1, 1804 - Symphony Eroica

Description:

Middle Period
A. The Eroica (Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major)
1. Almost everything about the Eroica is more than previous symphonies: length, size of
orchestra, technical demands on players, harmonic drama, rhetorical vehemence, and unity of the whole.
2. He intended to dedicate it to Napoleon, but was disillusioned with the leader when he
proclaimed himself emperor.
3. Even though early commentary thought the symphony too long and demanding, within
a few years public opinion had changed and noted with appreciation the deep spiritual aesthetic.
4. Musical analysis of the Eroica:
a. A low C# in the E-flat-major melody hints at the conflict to come.
b. The second movement is a funeral march.
c. The scherzo (joke) plays with meter, moving between two and three.
d. The final movement is a supersized set of variations, beginning with only the harmonic outline in the bass. He used this theme in three previous pieces.
e. The heroic style of the Eroica continued for about ten years.

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