Review:

on 2011-02-22 CharlesMartel Said:

Perhaps one of the most significant symphonies of the eighteenth century, Beethoven's third Symphony is frequently known by the name of "Eroica". Its importance lies in the fact that it marks the end of the so called classical era and the beginning of romanticism in classical music. However, though there may be some truth in the argument according to modern scholars, such terms would have meant little to Beethoven and his contemporaries. It is also significant for its length - it is about twice as long as any symphony by Haydn or Mozart and was therefore the first to give expression to a wide range of musical emotions and textures all contained in a single piece.

Originally, Beethoven wrote it for Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he admired, that is until Napoleon had himself crowned Emperor at which point Beethoven's disgust caused him to change the dedication. However, it is unlikely if his aristocratic Austrian patron, Prince Franz Joseph Lobkowitz, would have taken kindly to a work dedicated to the upstart Corsican. It received its premiere in front of Lobkowitz in 1804 and in public a year later.

The standard four movements are very different from each other. The first is rather upbeat though with a perhaps sombre tone. The apparent contradiction has been described as being reflective of Beethoven's bi-polar disorder or that fact that he was by this point going deaf and determined to confront it. If so, this may give some poignancy to the second movement, which is far less upbeat and may therefore reflect either Beethoven's frustration at his deafness or the debilitating melancholy of his mental state. Indeed, such is the dirge-like composition of this second movement that it is frequently used as a funeral march - it was played at the funeral of Franklin D. Roosevelt for one.

The third movement, a scherzo, is as usual in the form of a minuet with a faster tempo and a sense of heightened jollity which renders it perhaps out of keeping with the first two movements on first hearing. However, the final movement may be said to be a return to the consequences of the themes of the first two movements for it comprises a series of themes and variations which spin throughout the entire movement and surprisingly give it a chance to tie together all the themes and emotions of the first three movements. So encyclopaedic in this respect is the final movement that it is said that, unlike other symphonies and contrary to normal practice, Beethoven composed the finale first.

Like many I am divided in my opinion of the "Eroica". I do find it too long and have lost interest, or rather been easily distracted when listening to it. On the other hand, it has a distinctive rhythm, for which Beethoven was famous, and is therefore easy to pick up again. Above all, I am drawn to the majestic scope of the work and the fact that it is less technical if that is the right word than earlier symphonies by composers in the mid- to late-eighteenth century. For this reason, I find I am able to listen to the movements individually, rather than as a whole, which perhaps makes up for the difficulty in coping with the symphony's length at one go.

This rendition of the symphony was performed by the Ljubljana Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Anton Nanut, probably the most well-known and highly-regarded Slovenian conductor. I have heard virtually nothing else by this ensemble but I find this a fine rendition, if a little slower in tempo than others I have heard. When looking to add this symphony to my collection, I could have done a lot worse than this.
Rating: 7/10