Beethoven began writing his third symphony, the “Eroica,” when he was inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte, then a hero of the French Revolution.
But by the time the symphony was finished, the composer dedicated it “to the memory of a great man,” even though Napoleon was still alive.
Classical music writer Fran Hoepfner ( @franhoepfner) joins Here & Now‘s Robin Young to explain what was revolutionary about Beethoven’s “Eroica.”
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