Eroica

Beethoven's Eroica : the first great romantic symphony / James Hamilton-Paterson.

First U.S. edition.

New York : Basic Books, 2017.

vii, 180 pages : illustrations, portraits, music ; 20 cm

"In 1805, the world of music was startled by an avant-garde and explosive new work. Intellectually and emotionally, Beethoven's Third Symphony, the "Eroica," rudely broke the mold of the Viennese Classical symphony and revealed a powerful new expressiveness, both personal and societal. Even the whiff of actual political revolution was woven into the work-it was originally inscribed to Napoleon Bonaparte, a dangerous hero for a composer dependent on conservative royal patronage. With the first two stunning chords of the "Eroica," classical music was transformed. In Beethoven's Eroica, James Hamilton-Paterson reconstructs this great moment in Western culture, the shock of the music and the symphony's long afterlife." -- Publisher's description

English

February 19, 2018

Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-172) and index.

Criticism, interpretation, etc.