Beethoven Premieres Third Symphony: The Eroica Arrives
Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, the "Eroica," premiered on April 7, 1805, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. At nearly 50 minutes, it was twice the length of any previous symphony and broke virtually every structural convention Haydn and Mozart had established. Beethoven had originally dedicated it to Napoleon Bonaparte as a champion of republican ideals, but when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor in December 1804, Beethoven reportedly tore the title page in half and scrawled over the dedication. The audience at the premiere was bewildered. One critic complained it was "a daring, wild fantasia." Another called it "endlessly long." Yet the Eroica fundamentally expanded what a symphony could be, opening the door to Romantic-era composition.
April 7, 1805
221 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Ludwig van Beethoven
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Symphony No. 3 (Beethoven)
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Theater an der Wien
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Vienna
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Ludwig van Beethoven
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Symphony No. 3 (Beethoven)
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Theater an der Wien
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Vienna
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Concerto pour piano no 24 de Mozart
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Catalogue Köchel
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Burgtheater
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Missa solemnis (Beethoven)
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Oratorio
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Saint Petersburg
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