Beethoven’s Eroica: From Napoleon Tribute to Musical Revolution

Beethoven originally composed his 3rd Symphony as an homage to Napoleon, whom he greatly respected. However, upon Napoleon’s self-coronation as emperor in 1804, Beethoven furiously denounced him as a despot and removed Bonaparte’s name from the title page of the score. In addition, this symphony, also known as the “Eroica,” marked a significant turning point […]

When Beethoven first performed…

When Beethoven first performed his Ninth Symphony, as he couldn’t hear the rapturous applause it received due to his deafness, one of his singers approached him and turned him around so that he could see the standing ovation he was receiving.

Beethoven overcame deafness by biting…

Beethoven overcame deafness by biting a metal rod attached to his piano to hear his work. It’s called bone conduction, and can also be used to help divers talk and hear underwater, and is also used by elephants to communicate.