A Beethoven biography book recommendation Jan Swafford’s biography of Beethoven is not ‘just another book’ on the great master. He manages to be as complete as possible without being too academic or ruining the intimate tone of the book. The author covers a historical period of a lifetime including the Enlightenment, the Napoleonic wars, the peace treaty followed by, and …
Ludwig van Beethoven composed his piano sonatas between 1795 and 1822. During this period he wrote 32 piano works. (As a young boy, he had composed 3 piano sonatas that were published when he was 13. After his death one more, but incomplete piano sonata was found among his notes, also from his childhood. These 3+1 juvenile works are not …
Rehearsals of the Third Symphony (Eroica) The first public rehearsal of the Third Symphony was in May or June of 1804, at the palace of Prince Lobkowicz. The room was dedicated to chamber music, but still could welcome at least two dozen of musicians and guests. The Prince offered regular concerts at this place, had his own house orchestra and …
The dedication and later the renaming of Beethoven’s Third Symphony is one of the most cited stories in the history of classical music. Beethoven initially admired Napoleon, dedicated his symphony to him, but later when he had heard the news of Napoleon’s own declaration as Emperor, he changed the name to Eroica instead. There had to be a strong self-identification …
Beethoven never wrote any public political manifesto, but still we know a great deal about his views. This article will cover his position on politics and society. Beethoven was a composer and a musician, not a politician or philosopher It is good to state the obvious sometimes, especially if we deal with a person so complex as Beethoven. He …
According to legend it was Bernadotte who suggested Beethoven to compose a symphony for Napoleon, the one which became his Third Symphony, the Eroica. Is the myth true? Who was this remarkable person? Who was Marshal Bernadotte? Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte was born on January 26, 1763, in Pau, France. His father was the local prosecutor and wished his …