Daniel Griffin

Analysis

HND Classical

Eroica
Symphony no.3 or 'Eroica' in E-flat major by Beetho en !as a re ol"tionary symphony !hich !as consi#ere# to be the bri#$e bet!een the classical era an# the romantic era. %he symphony has len$thene# sections an# no less than & #ifferent themes in the first mo ement alone. 'ri$inally( Beetho en ha# inten#e# for this !or) to be entitle# 'B"onaparte' after Napoleon B"onaparte. Beetho en ha# an a#miration for B"onaparte in a !ay that he ie!e# himself similar to him. %hey !ere both 'self-ma#e' men !ho from a commoner ha# risen thro"$h his talent an# ability to prominence an# both ha# to establish theirself in the same !ay. Beetho en belie e# that achie ement came from merit an# not by birth. * belie e he felt that the stan#ar# classical symphony form an# m"sical metho#s !ere too simple to e+press his opinion of Napoleon. ,"st as Napoleon !as chan$in$ the !orl# in lea#in$ armies aro"n# e"rope to fi$ht for the -rench .e ol"tion Beetho en ha# to #o the same !ith his symphony hence the complete shift in style thro"$h "sin$ ne! techni/"es an# harmonies0 not to mention the epic len$th of the symphony. Sa#ly( in 1234( Napoleon ha# #eclare# himself Emperor of -rance. 'n hearin$ this ne!s Beetho en !as f"rio"s an# claime# that0 "So he is no more than a common mortal! Now, too, he will tread under foot all the rights of man, indulge only his ambition; now he will think himself superior to all men, become a tyrant!" (Hamburg,1 !"# ( then $rabbe# a pen an# frantically score# o"t 'B"onaparte' an# nee#e# to re!rite the title pa$e. 'n the title pa$e he !rote $Heroic symphony, composed to celebrate the memory of a great man$(Dahlhaus,1991) ( referencin$ to !hat Napoleon ha# been. %he main theme of this symphony is heroism hence the name an# thro"$ho"t it there are e+amples of this in each section( each theme an# e en the )ey si$nat"re itself. *n this essay * inten# to analyse the first mo ement an# present the rea#er !ith e+amples of the heroism an# !hy these e+amples so"n# heroic. E-flat major as a )ey si$nat"re is a symbol of heroism on its o!n an# i #o not belie e it !as coinci#ence Beetho en "se# it. *n battles an# in noble e ents ario"s horns !ere a common instr"ment. Horns are nat"rally a B-flat !hich ma)es Eflat a sensible )ey to "se as it is a hi$hly accessable )ey for horn players. -or e+ample 3 o"t of the 4 horn concerti 5o6art !rote !ere in E-flat also Hay#n an# H"mmels tr"mpet concerti.-"rthermore( E-flat !as a $a e a m"ch richer tone to the notes compare# to other )eys s"ch as C or D 7 Galea66i(189:; . *t ma#e sense !hy Beetho en "se of this )ey for his symphony. Beetho en helpe# familiarise other romantic composers !ith ie!in$ it as a 'heroic' )ey as it le# to many other $ran#e !or)s s"ch as his o!n 'Emperor' <iano concerto no.& or 5"ssor$s)y's '%he Great Gate of =ie ' !hich !as a !or) that !o"l# ha e celebrate# the constr"ction of a massi e $ate *n =ie for the relief that %sar Ale+an#er ** narro!ly escape# an assassination. %he first mo ement be$ins !ith > forte tonic chor#s !hich #ramatically $rabs the listeners attention an# lea#s into the first an# most reco$nisable theme of the piece playe# by the cello section.

%he theme is !ritten in a tr"mpet fanfare li)e manner( foc"sin$ on the tonic tria#. Alrea#y this theme hints to the presence of heroism. A cello is "se# as there is a #eep( bol# masc"line tone /"ality to the instr"ment. At bar >3 it is s"$$este# in the m"sic that there is a str"$$le if !e loo) at the syncopate# #issonant chor#s. %hese metric emphasises create a conflict in the 3? 4 metre are "neasy on o"r m"sical ears as e erythin$ #oes not fall on the beat. 5oments later there is a $reat crescen#o to!ar#s the orchestral t"tti that plays the first theme fortissimo. %he majestic so"n# create# pro i#es the listener !ith a $reat sense of alo"r an# it really #oes so"n# heroic an# $ran#. %he secon# theme is intro#"ce# at bar 4& in a 'riple effect by the !hole orchestra.

Daniel Griffin

Analysis

HND Classical

*ts as if the theme is 'thro!n' aro"n# li)e an i#ea an# each section are contrib"tin$ to the #irection it sho"l# follo! "ntil finally at bar && the !hole orchestra comes into a$reement an# all play the theme forissimo sim"ltaneo"sly. %he m"sic s"##enly falls to piano b"t then crescen#os for the ne+t 2 bars lea#in$ to the e+citin$ thir# theme.

Act"ally( the thir# theme is a li)e a ariation of the secon# theme in the !ay that they both ha e #escen#in$ passa$es !hich sharply rise then #ecen# imme#iately after. %he rhythm in#icates a sort of $allop to the m"sic as if ri#in$ on a horse !hich ofco"rse has connotations of !ar lin)in$ to heroism b"t as!ell as a $allop. *t has a snare #r"m li)e /"ality to it . 5illitant pieces s"ch as .achmanino 's <rel"#e in G minor or Chopins <olonaise 5illitaire "se similar rhythm to immitate the snare #r"m @ Prelude in G minor Rachmaninov

Polonaise Millitaire in A major - Chopin %his m"sic of the eroica has a constant #ri e to it. *n the !ay this thir# theme mo es it )eeps the pace of the m"sic $oin$ . Beetho en !as intentional !ith this in a !ay to sho! he cant e+press himself abo"t ho! he feels for B"onaparte !ith > themes alone. %his thir# theme is /"ite si$nificant as the normally symphony !o"l# only ha e ha# > themes at the most normally therefore this thir# one stan#s o"t $reatly. After this theme the m"sic enters into another ne! theme0 a softer chorale li)e passa$e that is playe# bet!een the !oo#!in# then the strin$s 7bar 24;. *t feels li)e a sort of interl"#e in a !ay as after a #ramatic $allopin$ thir# theme there is a #elicate choir sin$in$. Not lon$ after the orchestra becomes e+cite# a$ain !ith sharp staccato chor#s first playe# /"iet then a $reat crescen#o to a ariation of the first theme. %his

Daniel Griffin

Analysis

HND Classical

time instea# of bein$ heroic an# bra e it moc)s itself. %he iolins prance aro"n# the notes creatin$ a so"n# !hich co"l# be tho"$ht of as someone la"$hin$ hysterically. %here is another b"il# "p follo!in$( !hich lea#s to t"tti staccato chor#s !hich then lea#s to : off-beat C8 chor#s !hich seem to "pset the metre a!ay from 3? 4 briefly. %he e+position en#s !ith a brief remin#er of the theme from the strin$s then the #e elopment starts from after the repeat. %he #e elopment be$ins !ith the secon# theme echoin$ in the !oo#!in# follo!e# by the cellos an# #o"ble basses playin$ the theme in an ascen#in$ chromatic se/"ence. -or these 2 bars the rest of the strin$s play semi-/"a ers to accompany the cello an# #o"ble bass line b"t this chan$es in the follo!in$ bars as the first an# secon#s play in an antiphonal li)e manner the thir# '$allopin$' theme !hile the #o"ble bass( celli an# iola contin"e to play the first theme. Bar (

*t is a ery bol# so"n# that is create# !hich is ery satisfyin$ to listen to. *n the bars follo!in$ there is a brea) in the m"sic at bar >19 !hen the secon# re-enters in a less serio"s manner accompanie# by the iolins an# other !oo#!in# playin$ staccato !hich creates a #ance li)e passa$e. %here are more hints of str"$$le in the m"sic at bar >&4 !ith the strin$s playin$ accente# offbeats. By >42 the str"$$le clima+es !ith $rotes/"e harmonic tension an# stabbin$ n# syncopate# chor#s in the f"ll orchestra. >84 on!ar# has ery "ncommon harmonies. *t pro$resses from C > in ersion st from !hich yo" e+pect a G chor# to follo! b"t instea# plays a - 1 in ersion !ith a s"spen#e# E playe# by fl"tes !ith ma)e a ery piercin$ so"n#( then a B8th chor# !ith a C s"spen#e# from !hich the orchestra #iminishes to strin$s only for fo"r bars that play play on beat staccato chor#s the B8th !ith C s"spen#e# then lan# on B major lea#in$ to the )ey of E minor for the ne+t section. %o the a"#ience of Beetho en's time they !o"l# be completely lost in the m"sic at this point . *t sho!s Beetho en's $eni"s as a pioneer of the symphony. *mme#iately in the E minor section there !hat co"l# be a ne! theme in the cellos b"t infact is a ariation on the first theme b"t !ith a##e# passin$ notes an# in the minor )ey. First theme

New

minor theme (!ar

*f !e listen ahea# from bar 332 there is al!ays a tension that in#icates a #efinite ca#ence to the recapic"lation b"t the m"sic ne er resol es. *f !e compare this symphony to his first > symphonies !e can notice at ho! m"ch more perfect ca#ences occ"r in them as to that in Symphony no. 3. He !as alot more a# ent"ro"s !ith this symphony in terms of len$th an# harmony. %his "nresol e# ca#ences also imply t"rmoil in the m"sic( similar to that of a battle !hen yo" $et a s"##en boost of morale that ma)es yo" thin) the en# is near b"t it is torn #o!n by the #eath of another sol#ier. 'n

Daniel Griffin

Analysis

HND Classical

approachin$ the en# of the recapic"lation at bar 3:> the m"sic is not s"ite# . %he iolins play semi/"a er chor#s that $ra#"ally $et /"iet from pp #o!n to ppp !hich preser es the tension. %hey finally arri e on the chor# of Bflat8 b"t o er this a lone horn enters in the !ith the first theme in Eflat > bars before the recap is meant to come.

-or many years this !as tho"$ht to be a mista)e in the score as the a"#ience at the time !o"l# ha e hear# this as a !ron$ entry. E en Beetho en's p"pil( -er#inan# .ies( !as misle# by this section of the piece an# claime# that the horn player ha# come in !ron$ly. After a $reat crescen#o from this horn entry the recapic"lation be$ins. %he recapic"lation has a lot less tension present compare# to the e+position an# #e elopment. Normally recapic"lations !o"l# not ha e alot of )ey chan$es in it as the mo ement !o"l# be comin$ to the en#( b"t alrea#y 19 bars into it( at bar 41:( there is a shift #o!n a tone to Db. Altho"$h not common at the time it #oes ma)e the harmony feel a lot more optimistic an# the )ey chan$es are alot less harsh than before. %he recap tra els thro"$h familiar themes b"t in #ifferent )eys "ntil bar &&1. %his !o"l# be the point !here the co#a sho"l# appear b"t Beetho en creates one more s"rprise before. &&1 has the first the secon#s iolins on a #escen#in$ passa$e similar to the main theme !hich e ent"ally lan# on the tonic alon$ !ith the other strin$s. %hen s"##enly( completely "npre#ictable( Beetho en shifts first to Db for 4 bars( then #o!n to C major. %he secon# iolins play the main theme in a similar !ay of that to bar 182 !hen the cellos !ere accompanyin$ the first iolins. %he first iolins enter !ith a completely ne! theme at bar &:8. Not lon$ after the oboe an# clarinet play the minor theme at bar >24 briefly. -ollo!in$ from more bars of the theme at &:8 is a sort of in erte# ersion of the $allopin$ theme.

%his theme has a t"rn thro"$ho"t the strin$s an# lea#s to a #efinite en# to the mo ement. %he ascen#in$ an# #escen#in$ passa$es o erlap an# create tense anticipation lea#in$ "p to the final sycopate# chor#s startin$ from :21. %his heroic mo ement is concl"#e# !ith 3 tonic chor#s. -rom only analysin$ this one mo ement of the symphony !e can alrea#y see ho! re ol"tionary this symphony !as an# the portayal of Napoleon an# heroism is clear thro"$ho"t. %he rest of the symphony e+ten#s onto the heroism theme e en more. %he secon# mo ement( for instance( is a f"neral march !hich !o"l# represent the #eath of a hero. Beetho en contin"e# to brea) the r"les in classical m"sic !ritin$ !ith his symphonies an# other !or)s. *t is no #enyin$ that m"sic !o"l# not ha e been the same !itho"t this composition. .eferences@
-rancesco Galea66i( %lementi teorico&practici di musica 7189:; as translate# to En$lish in .ita Steblin( ' History of (ey )haracteristics in the %ighteenth and %arly Nineteenth )enturies. Ani ersity of .ochester <ress 7199:;@ 111 -er#inan# .ies( /"ote# in 5ichael Hamb"r$er( e#.( *eetho+en, -etters, .ournals and )on+ersations 7Ne! Bor)@ Anchor Boo)s( 19:3;( >9-33.

"#A $e"itt% www# Beethovenseroica#com (&''() Michael *ilson *homas(+an,rancisco +-mphon- .rchjestra)% www# /eepin0score#or0 (&''1)

Daniel Griffin

Analysis

HND Classical

$ahlhaus% Carl#Ludwig van Beethoven, Approaches to his Music # Clarendon Press% 2332% pp# &4-&5