Story Beethoven and Napoleon

Beethoven and Napoleon never met. However, he played their individual roles in the new "romantic era" apparent in Europe in the early 19.

Beethoven, independent composer of his time, and did not like many of the ideas that Napoleon had. He had managed to build a new power and strong will of the people, rather than that of the aristocracy whose lack of government as we know it today was a bit archaic, and certainly did not mean the average citizen.


Napoleon changed the laws of the land (very common) Civil Service was restructured to make it functional as well as being effective, had scientists from all areas of work for him to bring France to a stage where it was technically the best in the world. Accomplished much. Its metric is used in almost all countries today. Most Europeans under 20 years old today would not recognize a gallon or a yard. L and m, with increments of 10 or 100 are actually much easier for your average chap (which the French population was at that time) instead of having to multiply by fractions dark in the French population uneducated inept.

Many people say that the reason for this hunger for scientific information is purely philanthropic. It is possible that Beethoven thought so before 1804. Other, perhaps more insightful, showed that most of this work was put to use almost exclusively military. The man was a genius in war. Baring in mind the climate of political turmoil after the French Revolution, the guillotine executions and the enormous power of the secret police at the time, nobody dared to say one thing. Napoleon finished with it, on pain of death if not done.

Beethoven, meanwhile, had been looking at the good things that come out of France, especially during the "truce" in early 1800. He could see things that Napoleon was doing for the country and its infrastructure as well as their artistic side. Beethoven wrote other pieces during this period, but his great work "at this time was the fabulously innovative 'Eroica' symphony.

This was dedicated to Napoleon and, indeed, much of the musical content was written following the success of this extraordinary leader.

But Napoleon, after re-armed troops and ships during the "truce" had further ambitions. It was an emperor and his family, his successors in perpetuity. The Napoleonic Wars and then Beethoven was not satisfied with this 'would' hero.

Beethoven apparently tore the dedication of his manuscript of the symphony Third, and just dedicated it to hold a "great man", whereas changing the name of the symphony as we know today as the "Eroica" instead "The Napoleon.
In 1809 Napoleon's forces bombed Vienna, Beethoven and hid in a basement with scarves around their ears afraid that terrible noise eliminate the last of its remaining capacity to listen.