´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda (conductor)
Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
David Zinman (conductor)
1. Allegro con brio
2. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
3. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
4 .Finale: Allegro molto
Although in his Second Symphony Beethoven had begun to move beyond the traditional concept of the classical symphony, his Eroica remains a staggering achievement, taking the genre into hitherto uncharted regions. Here, in 1803, we have a symphony which in performance lasts nearly a full hour, a symphony whose first movement alone is as long as many symphonies in their entirety. Yet nothing about the Eroica is inflated or grandiose; on the contrary, the work is a model of economy and precision.
Beethoven enlarged his previous symphonic orchestration only by the addition of an extra horn; it is therefore the size and scale of the symphonic concept which are expanded, but in purely musical terms. The logical and emotional power of the music carries the listener along, and to achieve his aim Beethoven employs numerous characteristic devices. There are often off-beat accents to reinforce dissonant harmonies and to produce, in the first movement especially, the most tremendous symphonic tension; and it is from this great sense of emotional strength that the sheer scale of the composition derives.
...He had realised that only through creating his music could he sustain the will to live...
Such a composition could have been created only by a truly great figure, and the struggle confronting Beethoven with his increasing deafness had already been made apparent in the moving Heiligenstadt Testament , which he had written in 1802. He had realised that only through creating his music could he sustain the will to live. And it is the strength of his will that we encounter in the first two movements of this remarkable symphony. It is hardly surprising that contemporary opinion did not much care for the music when it was first heard, though thanks to the committed advocacy of a few enlightened patrons, such as Prince Lobkovitz, recognition came eventually.
Originally the title page bore the name 'Napoleon Bonaparte' as dedication, but Beethoven literally scratched it out when Napoleon had himself proclaimed Emperor, saying, 'Is he then, too, nothing more than an ordinary human being?'
The first movement is constructed on a huge scale, with a coda long enough to count as a second development section. Two abrupt fortissimo chords provide the shortest of introductions, and the mobile principal theme is heard immediately. Its treatment is wide ranging indeed, yet the flow of inspiration is taut and continuous. The linking of the development to the recapitulation is a moment worthy of special comment: the violins are still preparing the way for when the horn enters with the first subject theme, with the result that two different keys are heard simultaneously. So daring was Beethoven's ploy that many of his contemporaries were convinced that rather than a dramatic gesture, this was simply a mistake.
...the central part is more mobile and brings a balance and contrast...
The succeeding slow movement is equally demanding in its concentration. The outer sections are intense and heavily funereal in mood, but the central part is more mobile and brings a balance and contrast. Throughout this movement the instrumental colours emphasise the solemnity, for the vast and slow moving principal theme is wholly serious, a characteristic confirmed by its treatment in development.
The Scherzo occupies a different world from that of the eighteenth century minuet. The tempo is an unequivocal Allegro vivace , and the movement opens with a quiet staccato rhythmic activity in the strings, who are soon joined by the woodwinds. The full orchestra bursts in to insist upon a lively conclusion, while the central trio, which maintains the same tempo, is notable for the imaginative writing for the horns.
...an extensive coda moves the symphony to its blazing conclusion...
The joyful finale is built upon a theme which Beethoven had used in several previous compositions, the best known of them the score for the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus. A fragmented outline eventually leads to a full presentation and a free-ranging series of variations in which imaginative textures play a full part. Fugato, imitation and counterpoint are all prominently featured, until an extensive coda moves the symphony to its blazing conclusion.
© Terry Barfoot
