Intellectuals throughout Europe looked on Napoleon as a hero at first, including German artists such as Goethe. As a youth, Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827) was attracted by the ideals of the French Revolution. His early writing was scattered with revolutionary sentiments and disdain for organised religion. Thanks to Christopher George and Alexander Lee for their excellent articles.
When Beethoven moved to Vienna to study with Franz Joseph Haydn, he took his views with him. However since a police state existed in Austria in the 1790s, Beethoven knew not to flagrantly display his support for the revolutionary movement there. Afterall, Beethoven was still a German provincial from Bonn.
So as he gained fame as a composer in his own right, his democratic fervour was abating. Welcomed to the Viennese nobility’s salons, Beethoven adapted himself to his patrons’ tastes. He put on aristocratic airs, claimed descent from an old baronial family and adopted the nobiliary particle “von”. Though he remained a passionate defender of liberty and secularism, the composer now believed that the French Revolution had gone too far. He too regarded the Reign of Terror with horror.
By 1800, Beethoven was traumatised to realise that his deafness was worsening. In April 1802, Beethoven left Vienna for Heiligenstadt, a village near Vienna. The Heiligenstadt Testament was an emotional document in which Beethoven placed himself as a hero, stricken by deafness, withdrawn from mankind, conquering suicide.
But surrounded by nature, he recovered and found a new sense of musical purpose. Wandering in the country, he toyed with a theme in E flat major and soon had a completely new symphony in mind – original and triumphalist.
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3rd Symphony Eroica by Beethoven
Poor Beethoven. Not long after finishing his symphony, Ries came to him with news that Napoleon had declared himself Emperor of France (May 1804) and was crowned (in Dec). Beethoven flew into a rage, shouting: So he is no more than a common mortal! Now he will think himself superior to all men and become a tyrant!’ Beethoven strode over to the score and scribbled out the title so violently that he tore through paper.
This event gave rise to an image of Beethoven as a lover of liberty, an admirer of the French Revolution and a republican. Having once admired Napoleon as the god of revolutionary principles, the composer later reviled him for sacrificing those very principles.
Ries’ version was suspect because he wrote down his reminiscences years later. Schindler’s claim that the idea of naming the symphony after Napoleon had been suggested by Bernadotte was clearly false. Though Bernadotte had indeed served as the French ambassador to Austria, he had quit his post in disgrace in 1798 and left. In any case Schindler was a known democrat, who destroyed or doctored many of Beethoven’s papers after the composer’s death.
Beethoven wrote to his publisher, disappointed that Napoleon had concluded a concordat with Pope Pius VII and thereby shattered the separation-of-Church-and-state dream. Yet Beethoven saw Napoleon as a necessary corrective for the excesses of the Revolution, producing political order out of chaos. Napoleon knew how to keep a firm hold, plus he had an appreciation for art and science.
So it was for practical and financial reasons that the composer no longer publicly acknowledged Napoleon as the inspiration for the symphony. He removed Napoleon’s name so as not to lose the patronage of a noble who had been scandalised by the Frenchman’s actions. Note Beethoven dedicated the Eroica to Prince Joseph von Lobkowicz, who had given him 400 ducats for the rights to the music and who later became one of his most ardent supporters.
The symphony received its first private performance in Dec 1804 at Prince Lobkowitz's palace. It would not have been politically wise for him to have retained an identification with Napoleon. War with France was once again looming, so patriotic Lobkowitz raised a battalion of troops against the French. Austria was an implacable foe to Napoleon, at war with France for 13.5 years!!
The first public performance of Eroica Symphony took place in Vienna in Apr 1805 with Beethoven himself conducting. The work did not please the public who thought the symphony too heavy and too long. Refusing to modify the score, Eroica remained Beethoven’s personal favourite.
The composer admired Bonaparte as a Republican consul, but may have thought he could not tolerate him as an autocrat. Yet Beethoven did not turn his back on the Imperial family. In 1808 Napoleon’s brother, King Jerome Bonaparte of Westphalia, offered the composer 600 gold ducats a year to serve as Kapellmeister to the Court of Kassel!
In taking the position, Beethoven would have continued a family tradition. [The composer's grand father, Ludovicus van Beethoven, had been Kapellmeister to the Elector of Cologne in 1733]. But before young Ludwig could accept tainted Bonaparte money, Viennese Archduke Rudolph offered Beethoven 4,000 florins a year.
It was only after Napoleon crushed Austria in the War of the 5th Coalition 1809 that Beethoven’s enthusiasm ended. Shaken by the French bombardment of Vienna and fearful of being compromised by a Bonaparte association, he repudiated Napoleon! Contempt grew as the emperor ranged across Europe like a conqueror, especially in Vienna. Beethoven was now identified liberty with Germanic patriotism.
When Beethoven moved to Vienna to study with Franz Joseph Haydn, he took his views with him. However since a police state existed in Austria in the 1790s, Beethoven knew not to flagrantly display his support for the revolutionary movement there. Afterall, Beethoven was still a German provincial from Bonn.
So as he gained fame as a composer in his own right, his democratic fervour was abating. Welcomed to the Viennese nobility’s salons, Beethoven adapted himself to his patrons’ tastes. He put on aristocratic airs, claimed descent from an old baronial family and adopted the nobiliary particle “von”. Though he remained a passionate defender of liberty and secularism, the composer now believed that the French Revolution had gone too far. He too regarded the Reign of Terror with horror.
By 1800, Beethoven was traumatised to realise that his deafness was worsening. In April 1802, Beethoven left Vienna for Heiligenstadt, a village near Vienna. The Heiligenstadt Testament was an emotional document in which Beethoven placed himself as a hero, stricken by deafness, withdrawn from mankind, conquering suicide.
But surrounded by nature, he recovered and found a new sense of musical purpose. Wandering in the country, he toyed with a theme in E flat major and soon had a completely new symphony in mind – original and triumphalist.
Classic FM
Against his personal anguish, the composer showed his politics. This 3rd Symphony Eroica was one of a series of planned dedications to enlightened leaders in 1800-4. While Beethoven was labouring over the score, he decided to name the symphony after Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), then First Consul of France.
According to the composer’s biographer Anton Schindler, the link to Napoleon had first been suggested by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, French ambassador to Austria. But according to Beethoven’s pupil Ferdinand Ries, the idea was the composer’s own. As Ries explained, Beethoven had the highest esteem for Napoleon, like the greatest consuls of ancient Rome. When the score was finished in early 1804, he wrote Symphony For Bonaparte on the cover and proudly left the manuscript on a table for all to see.
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Courtyard of Beethoven's house
Against his personal anguish, the composer showed his politics. This 3rd Symphony Eroica was one of a series of planned dedications to enlightened leaders in 1800-4. While Beethoven was labouring over the score, he decided to name the symphony after Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), then First Consul of France.
According to the composer’s biographer Anton Schindler, the link to Napoleon had first been suggested by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, French ambassador to Austria. But according to Beethoven’s pupil Ferdinand Ries, the idea was the composer’s own. As Ries explained, Beethoven had the highest esteem for Napoleon, like the greatest consuls of ancient Rome. When the score was finished in early 1804, he wrote Symphony For Bonaparte on the cover and proudly left the manuscript on a table for all to see.
Heiligenstädt near Vienna, 1802.
Poor Beethoven. Not long after finishing his symphony, Ries came to him with news that Napoleon had declared himself Emperor of France (May 1804) and was crowned (in Dec). Beethoven flew into a rage, shouting: So he is no more than a common mortal! Now he will think himself superior to all men and become a tyrant!’ Beethoven strode over to the score and scribbled out the title so violently that he tore through paper.
This event gave rise to an image of Beethoven as a lover of liberty, an admirer of the French Revolution and a republican. Having once admired Napoleon as the god of revolutionary principles, the composer later reviled him for sacrificing those very principles.
Ries’ version was suspect because he wrote down his reminiscences years later. Schindler’s claim that the idea of naming the symphony after Napoleon had been suggested by Bernadotte was clearly false. Though Bernadotte had indeed served as the French ambassador to Austria, he had quit his post in disgrace in 1798 and left. In any case Schindler was a known democrat, who destroyed or doctored many of Beethoven’s papers after the composer’s death.
Beethoven wrote to his publisher, disappointed that Napoleon had concluded a concordat with Pope Pius VII and thereby shattered the separation-of-Church-and-state dream. Yet Beethoven saw Napoleon as a necessary corrective for the excesses of the Revolution, producing political order out of chaos. Napoleon knew how to keep a firm hold, plus he had an appreciation for art and science.
So it was for practical and financial reasons that the composer no longer publicly acknowledged Napoleon as the inspiration for the symphony. He removed Napoleon’s name so as not to lose the patronage of a noble who had been scandalised by the Frenchman’s actions. Note Beethoven dedicated the Eroica to Prince Joseph von Lobkowicz, who had given him 400 ducats for the rights to the music and who later became one of his most ardent supporters.
The symphony received its first private performance in Dec 1804 at Prince Lobkowitz's palace. It would not have been politically wise for him to have retained an identification with Napoleon. War with France was once again looming, so patriotic Lobkowitz raised a battalion of troops against the French. Austria was an implacable foe to Napoleon, at war with France for 13.5 years!!
The first public performance of Eroica Symphony took place in Vienna in Apr 1805 with Beethoven himself conducting. The work did not please the public who thought the symphony too heavy and too long. Refusing to modify the score, Eroica remained Beethoven’s personal favourite.
The composer admired Bonaparte as a Republican consul, but may have thought he could not tolerate him as an autocrat. Yet Beethoven did not turn his back on the Imperial family. In 1808 Napoleon’s brother, King Jerome Bonaparte of Westphalia, offered the composer 600 gold ducats a year to serve as Kapellmeister to the Court of Kassel!
In taking the position, Beethoven would have continued a family tradition. [The composer's grand father, Ludovicus van Beethoven, had been Kapellmeister to the Elector of Cologne in 1733]. But before young Ludwig could accept tainted Bonaparte money, Viennese Archduke Rudolph offered Beethoven 4,000 florins a year.
It was only after Napoleon crushed Austria in the War of the 5th Coalition 1809 that Beethoven’s enthusiasm ended. Shaken by the French bombardment of Vienna and fearful of being compromised by a Bonaparte association, he repudiated Napoleon! Contempt grew as the emperor ranged across Europe like a conqueror, especially in Vienna. Beethoven was now identified liberty with Germanic patriotism.
Shortly before the Emperor's exile on Elba, the composer sided with the Allies. So he wrote a short orchestral work celebrating Emperor's nemesis, Duke of Wellington, in 1813. The Battle of Vitoria Symphony celebrated the decisive British victory over Napoleon's troops in Spain in June 1813, and became Beethoven's greatest commercial success. Beethoven dedicated Wellington's Victory to Britain’s Prince Regent and sent him an engraved copy of the score.