 Theater-an-der-Wien |
While, at the end of the last section, we briefly discussed the growing insight of early critics of the Eroica, the following exploration might offer us an opportunity to determine to what extent Beethoven might still have been involved in further performances of the Eroica, himself and what fate these performances might have had in the hands of others.
Both Thayer (p. 470-471) and Solomon (p. 150) discuss a performance of this Symphony in the year 1809. From our Biographical Pages and from some of our Creation Histories, we might recall that the spring and summer of this year brought with it the occupation of Vienna by the French. Thayer describes how theatre life was affected by this:
"During the French occupation the ordinary performances of both Court Theatres were given in the Kärtnerthor. At the Burg--the real Court Theatre, forming, indeed, a part of the Imperial residence--after being closed some weeks, a French company opened on the 18th of July, played for a time alternately with a German one, and then held--as if in bitter irony--exclusive possession of the stage. Was not Vienna a French city: The Burg a French palace? Did not Napoleon's eagle head the Wiener Zeitung? At Schönbrunn the theatre was devoted almost exclusively to Italian opera and ballet, for the amusement of the French Court" (Thayer: 470-471).
However, what happened with respect to instrumental music? As Thayer reports, theatre manager Hartl wanted to develop a new benefit activity and is reported to, as Thayer puts it, "as usual", also have called on Beethoven for his support. It is very likely, continues Thayer, that he asked the composer to conduct one or the other of his own works, himself. Hartl might also have counted on financial support on the part of the French authorities, at least with respect to a benefit concert for the actors and their families. Since, on September 8, 1809, the "birthday" of the Virgin Mary, the court theatres would be closed, he chose this day for such a concert. Thayer reports that, unfortunately, the program has been lost. As Thayer reports, the program also featured the Sinfonia Eroica, conducted by Beethoven, himself. Thayer asks himself as to whether Beethoven particularly chose this symphony in order to honor Napoleon with it and that, in the event that this has been his motivation, he did not have an opportunity to do so since, the day before, Napoleon was on his way to Krems and Melk, from Schönbrunn. On the other hand, writes Thayer, Beethoven might also have chosen this work out of bitter sarcasm.
Vienna would have to wait for almost another ten years before the Eroica would be performed, again. With respect to this, Thayer reports:
"On October 19, 1819, a new concert series was started, soon to be known as the Concerts spirituels. Its founder was Franz Xaver Gebauer (1784-1822), choir director at the Augustinian church. His idea was to enlarge the choir rehearsals into meetings of music-lovers in which was performed not only a choral work in preparation for the next feast day but also a whole symphony. Concerning the founding of these concerts, Mosels writes in the Vienna Allg. Mus. Zeitung (April 5, 1820) that "musical jugglery has taken the place of sensitive performance, everywhere the symphonies of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven have disappeared--Now Herr Gebauer makes the proposal to form a special society of a moderate number to bring to performance only symphonies and choruses excluding all virtuoso music (Concertmusik) and bravura singing." These concerts were on the one hand more strict in program than those at the Gesellschaft (55) and on the other hand more faulty in performance since the performers were amateurs reading at sight. In the 18 concerts of the first season (1819/20) were performed Beethoven's first four symphonies, . . . " (Thayer: 771).
"Of the performances of Beethoven's music during the year, the following should be mentioned. At the concerts of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde the Eroica was performed on February 20, . . . " (Thayer: 770).
Also Solomon (p. 267) discussed the concerts of the "Gesellschaft" and mentions that in this season, Beethoven's Third, Fifth and Eighth Symphonies were performed by it.
From our Biographical Pages and from some of our Creation Histories, we are also already familiar with the musical life of Vienna during the time of political change after the Congress of Vienna. Due to this reason, Thayer's report on the Concerts spirituels and their aims should not surprise us. What will also become clear to us is that around 1820, Beethoven was no longer conducting the work, himself.
It is again Thayer (p. 969-970), and Solomon (p. 270), who refer to a further performance of the Eroica during Beethoven's life time, namely that of November 27, 1825, thus at a time in which Beethoven was engaged in his composition of his last string quartets.
What this brief look at further performances of the Third Symphony during Beethoven's life time can also show us is that the direct influence of the composer on his work, even as a near-deaf conductor, was replaced by the influence of the reception of the work by its audience(s), but also by the influence of the social development of the time, and we can also ask ourselves if the work's survival was and is still shaped by these two influences.
However, before we move on to considering as to how such influences might have affected today's music criticism of this work, we should first take a brief look at the musical content of this work.