Beethoven 3rd Symphony (1/5); 1st movement; Bernstein

Ludwig van Beethoven
Leonard Bernstein
New York Philharmonic

In his late twenties, Beethoven started to hear buzzing and ringing sounds in his ears. A few years later in 1802, he wrote a distressed letter in a town near Vienna that was addressed to his brothers (yet it remained in his own possession until his death at age 57). The note discussed Beethoven's deteriorating hearing (he eventually went deaf), how it made him feel lonely and anxious around others, and it laid out a will such that his siblings would inherit his wealth when he died.

However, he also wrote in it, "I would have ended my life—it was only my art that held me back." Historians later dubbed this letter, the Heiligenstadt Testament, after the town in which it was written.

This triumph over personal adversity happened concurrently with a significant change in Beethoven's musical style. The works composed after his emotional breakdown in 1802 radiated a new boldness and intrepidity, which often broke the formal rules of the Classical era in music. In fact, the first musical ideas for his Third Symphony—which was completed in 1804—were jotted down merely a few weeks after the Heiligenstadt Testament. Putting these ideas into perspective, it is no wonder why Beethoven's Third Symphony is sometimes deemed a nexus between the Classical and Romantic musical periods.

The Third Symphony's nickname is Eroica, which is Italian for "heroic." Originally, Beethoven planned to call the work, Bonaparte, after Napoleon Bonaparte. But once he learned that Napoleon proclaimed himself the emperor of France, he crossed out the dedication and wrote on the title page, "Heroic Symphony composed to celebrate the memory of a great man."

There are a lot of syncopations (stresses at unexpected times) and dissonances (unstable tone combinations), and wider pitch (highness or lowness of sounds) ranges and dynamics (loudness or softness in sounds) and heavier uses of accents (emphases on notes), to name a few deviations from the Classical era's typical way of writing a symphony.

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[demonhunter5520]

history about this song: the symphony is title "Eroica" meaning heroic in Italian. beethoven dedicated the symphony to Napoleon Bonaparte because he was the embodiment of the french revolution. however, when napoleon crowned himself emperor, beethoven was so disgusted that he took his pen and scratched out napoleon's name on the sheet music so hard that he tore into the page.

[ThelronFjord]

"If I'm going to die, it may as well be with a song in my heart."

[Jake Parker]

I just cut the fkn NY Phil to shreeds and stand behind every thing I said. I swear to my god that I was just new to this site and up came LV's third. I LOVE THIS SITE. oops, I riped the NY Phil sorry, sue me, whatever. Look at my last post and see. More tuning problems.............. sorry, I've already said that stuff later,peace JaKe

[Synthnerd11]

Agree 1000% - "Eroica" is one of the best, if not THE best, dramatisations of a Classical work that I've seen. Superbly well cast overall and I loved Ian Hart's portrayal of the temperamental Ludwig. The performance by the orchestra is brilliant, and it brings out the truly revolutionary nature of the work.  Also so glad that someone has uploaded Bernstein's version here. Thanks

[JD Sweet]

Writing symphonies is fun. I made one and put it in my channel.

[bombergal1]

I love this symphony :)

[alex4564706]

I listen to Classical Days because I like the symphony orchestra of Beethoven and I listen to Jazzy nights.

[TiredShoe]

haha you could say that brought be here too xd

[Meltedsnake4]

I don't hear any singing. Do you?

[Piano Keys]

Where's the rest of the 1st movement? It cut off early. :(

[Iank14]

I sometimes forget how really good Bernstein is or was. I have a Sir Georg Solti London Symphony Orchestra version of this and this one is far bolder and much more masculine and magnificent than the one that I have. This one hits you at the correct times that you need to be hit and it hits you hard.