num_pages: 32
description: Discover the little-known story of Beethoven's beloved masterwork. As the best pianist in Vienna, Ludwig van Beethoven had talent, money, fame. But he also had a terrible secret. He was slowly going deaf. Though his hearing deserted him, the maestro never lost his music. Seeking inspiration for his compositions, Beethoven hit upon Napoleon Bonaparte, then considered a liberator and a folk hero. Soon after Beethoven completed the work, Napoleon declared himself Emperor of France; betrayed and enraged, Beethoven tore his copy of the score to pieces. But his friend Ferdinand rescued a copy, and in time, Beethoven renamed it Eroica : the Heroic Symphony, dedicated to hero in each and every one of us.
language: English
title: The Heroic Symphony
titlecomplete: The Heroic Symphony
genres: Music, History, Picture Books, Childrens, Biography, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 57
publisher: Charlesbridge