Within three years, from 1805 to 1808, Beethoven composed some of his
greatest works--the oratorio of "The Mount of Olives," the opera of
"Fidelio," and the two noble symphonies, "Pastorale" and "Eroica,"
besides a large number of concertos, sonatas, songs, and other
occasional pieces. However gloomy the externals of his life, his
creative activities knew no cessation.
The "Sinfonia Eroica," the "Choral" only excepted, is the longest of
the immortal nine, and is one of the greatest examples of musical
portraiture extant. All the great composers from Handel to Wagner have
attempted, what is called descriptive music with more or less success,
but never have musical genius and skill achieved a result so
admirable in its relation to its purpose and by such strictly
legitimate means as in this work.
"The 'Eroica,'" says a great writer, "is an attempt to draw a musical
portrait of an historical character--a great statesman, a great
general, a noble individual; to represent in music--Beethoven's own
language--what M. Thiers has given in words, and Paul Delaroche in
painting." Of Beethoven's success another writer has said--"It wants
no title to tell its meaning, for throughout the symphony the hero is
visibly portrayed."
It is anything but difficult to realise why Beethoven should have
admired the first Napoleon. Both the soldier and musician were made
of that sturdy stuff which would and did defy the world; and it is
not strange that Beethoven should have desired in some way--and he
knew of no better course than through his art--to honour one so
characteristically akin to himself, and who at that time was the most
prominent man in Europe. Beethoven began the work in 1802, and in 1804
it was completed, and bore the following title:--
Sinfonia grand
"Napoleon Bonaparte"
1804 in August
del Sigr
Louis van Beethoven
Sinfonia 3.
Op. 55.
This was copied and the original score despatched to the ambassador for
presentation, while Beethoven retained the copy. Before the composition
was laid before Napoleon, however, the great general had accepted the
title of Emperor. No sooner did Beethoven hear of this from his pupil
Ries than he started up in a rage, and exclaimed--"After all, then,
he's nothing but an ordinary mortal! He will trample the rights of men
under his feet!" saying which, he rushed to his table, seized the copy
of the score, and tore the title-page completely off. From this time
Beethoven hated Napoleon, and never again spoke of him in connection
with the symphony until he heard of his death in St. Helena, when he
observed, "I have already composed music for this calamity," evidently
referring to the "Funeral March" in this symphony.
The opera of "Fidelio," which he composed about the same time, may be
considered, in the severe sense of a great and symmetrical musical
work, the finest lyric drama ever written, with the possible exception
of Gluck's "Orpheus and Eurydice" and "Iphigenia in Tauris." It is
rarely performed, because its broad, massive, and noble effects are
beyond the capacity of most singers, and belong to the domain of pure
music, demanding but little alliance with the artistic clap-trap of
startling scenery and histrionic extravagance. Yet our composer's
conscience shows its completeness in his obedience to the law of
opera; for the music he has written to express the situations cannot
be surpassed for beauty, pathos, and passion. Beethoven, like
Mendelssohn, revolted from the idea of lyric drama as an
art-inconsistency, but he wrote "Fidelio" to show his possibilities in
a direction with which he had but little sympathy. He composed four
overtures for this opera at different periods, on account of the
critical caprices of the Viennese public--a concession to public taste
which his stern independence rarely made.