HOPE FOR A BETTER WORLD: BEETHOVEN'S “EROICA”

Driven by a desire for a more just world, Beethoven originally dedicated his “Eroica” symphony to Napoleon, whom he believed embodied the anti-monarchist ideals of the French Revolution. But when Napoleon crowned himself emperor, the composer later scratched out the dedication in disgust.

Kent Nagano, conductor

PROGRAM
Beethoven, Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, “Eroica”