Maxime Pascal

Beethoven’s third symphony, the Eroica, is a story of struggle and victory.

Originally dedicated to Napoleon as a symbol of freedom and revolution, Beethoven’s admiration turned to disgust when he crowned himself emperor, leading him to remove Napoleon from the score and dedicate the work “to a hero.” It is also the first symphony in which he establishes the principle of “from struggle to victory”—an idea that would characterize symphonic form throughout the 19th century.

The second movement, a mourning march, honors fallen heroes, while the finale radiates triumph. With its powerful drama, the Eroica changed the history of music and laid the foundation for the grandiose expressions of the Romantic era.