Eroica cello opening

[Tarnhelm]

How unusual is the fact that the opening theme of Eroica is in the cellos? Is it a first? Don't most symphonies up to that point open with a theme in the first violins? Any other observations of innovations on Eroica also welcome.

Just found this wonderful place. Looking forward to spending some time here.

[Peter]

It is unusual though not unprecedented - Haydn's Symphony no.103 opens with the 'cellos and bass, but this is admittedly only an introduction to the main Allegro.

The are many original features in this work, not least the sheer length of the work and Beethoven's expansion of sonata form. Another startling and quite shocking feature to an audience of the early 1800s is the repeated dissonant chords that are hammered out by the orchestra. Having a funeral march for the slow movement is also pretty unusual - Beethoven had done this earlier with the piano sonata Op.26, but I can't think of an earlier example.

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'Man know thyself'

[Chris]

He must have been pleased with it, because the triple concerto opens with the theme in the cellos too.

[Claudie MICAULT]

Beethoven loved cello very much and wrote a lot of pretty good things (sonatas, variations) for the cellist Duport... No wonder he used this instrument in the symphonies like he did.

Claudie