The Cambridge Companion to the Eroica Symphony

Description

This Companion provides orientation for those embarking on the study of Beethoven's much-discussed Eroica Symphony, as well as providing fresh insights that will appeal to scholars, performers and listeners more generally. The book addresses the symphony in three thematic sections, on genesis, analysis and reception history, and covers key topics including political context, dedication, sources of the Symphony's inspiration, 'heroism' and the idea of a 'watershed' work. Critical studies of writings and analyses from Beethoven's day to ours are included, as well as a range of other relevant responses to the work, including compositions, recordings, images and film. The Companion draws on previous literature but also illuminates the work from new angles, based on new evidence and a range of approaches by twelve leading scholars in Beethoven research.

Nancy November is Associate Professor in musicology at the University of Auckland. Recent publications include Beethoven's Theatrical Quartets: Opp. 59, 74, and 95 (2013); a three-volume edition of fifteen string quartets by Beethoven's contemporary Emmanuel Aloys Foerster (2016); and Cultivating String Quartets in Beethoven's Vienna (2017). She is the recipient of a Humboldt Fellowship (2010-2012); and two Marsden Grants from the New Zealand Royal Society.