Beethoven: Hero/Rebel

What does it mean to be a hero or a rebel?

That question may well have been in Beethoven’s mind in the early years of the 19th Century as the macro-politics of the day seemed to clash with his own mental health struggles. In 1802 Beethoven had written to his brothers distressed by his developing deafness. In the following years, Napoleon’s campaign to liberate Europe from tyrannous monarchies sparked hope in the composer. He dedicated his Symphony No. 3 to the consul, but before the work was performed in public, Napoleon declared himself Emperor. Beethoven famously eradicated the dedication from the cover page of the Symphony’s manuscript, declaring “So he is no more than a common mortal! Now he, too, will tread underfoot all the rights of man and indulge only his ambition” (according to Ferdinand Ries, at least).  

Both the ‘Eroica’ (Heroic) Symphony and Violin Concerto, rebelled against contemporary expectations of what a symphony or concerto should be. Both are unprecedentedly epic, taking the performers to the edge of their resources. Here is where mettle is tested, the place where rebels become heroes.

Our heroes-in-chief today will be Norwegian superstar Vilde Frang and Maxim Emelyanychev, returning to conduct the OAE following acclaimed collaborations in Saint-Saëns, Grieg and Sibelius.

Part of Southbank Centre Season 2024/25.