James Tobin wrote:
>Hitler may have liked Beethoven, but Beethoven assuredly would not have
>liked Hitler.
to which replied Bill(Y) K:
>Oh, "hold on" What was the Eroica's" first title?? The "Napoleon"??
IIRC Beethoven had originally planned to dedicate symphony 3 to Napoleon
and call it simply 'Bonaparte'. But his idealization of the young leader
was shattered when Napoleon delared himself Emperor (in 1804?) and flew
into a rage and tore up the original title page.
Now of course sym 3 is subtitled 'Eroica' and 'composed to celebrate the
memory of a great man'. Presumably, since Napoleon was still alive, it
was the memory of his greatness & heroic qualities of times past Beethoven
sought to celebrate.
Bob K.