Beethoven Eroica

Here is a collection of the biggest musical institution in Germany performing works from the core of its repertoire: Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven & Schubert.

Emerging from a dark depression, Beethoven chose art rather than death, thus embracing a notion of destiny and heroism which links him to heroes of the past - and of his present.The Eroica Symphony, dedicated initially to Napoleon, and ultimately 'to the memory of a great man', was to prompt contemporary commentators to seek out interpretations in the Iliad.

The Orchester Wiener Akademie and its conductor Martin Haselböck continue their Resound Beethoven series. The aim of this series is to record the complete Beethoven symphonies on period instruments in the venues where they were first performed, scrupulously respecting the layout of the orchestra used 200 years ago. Volume 4 is devoted to the Symphony No. 3, “Eroica” and the Septet op.20. The recording took place in May 2016 in the Eroica Saal at the Palais Lobkowitz, where each symphony was premiered in 1804 and 1807, in private performances.

In this Recursive Classics release, David Bernard pairs the seminal works of Beethoven and Mahler, spotlighting the critical elements forged in the flashpoint moments of these composers' lives. The juxtaposition of Beethoven's Eroica and Mahler's Fifth underscores how personal struggles shaped the destiny of Western culture.