About This Event

Beethoven's Second and Third symphonies show the composer greatly expanding the scope of the Haydn/Mozart symphony model. The Second is an innovative, bright, exuberant symphony written at a time when, ironically, the composer was in despair about his increasing hearing loss. From the start, the nearly hour-long, broadly expressive Symphony No. 3 marked a decided shift in Beethoven's own career as well as in the genre's history. Its nickname Eroica alludes to its original dedication to Napoleon, which the composer later rescinded.