The book presents conclusive answers to questions that had occupied critics for more than a century. It makes clear what exactly Beethoven and his contemporaries meant by the term «heroic» and it draws on interdisciplinary researches in the areas of Greek Mythology, Napoleonic History and Comparative Literature.

With this study the author «opened up a previously locked door of Beethoven research» (Martin Geck). The book presents conclusive answers to questions that had occupied critics for more than a century. It makes clear what exactly Beethoven and his contemporaries meant by the term «heroic». It proves that the «heroic-allegorical ballet» The Creatures of Prometheus is a key work for an understanding of the Eroica, and shows that Beethoven associated the First Consul of the French Republic, Napoleon Bonaparte, with the mythical figure of the Titan Prometheus. The book draws on interdisciplinary researches in the areas of Greek Mythology, Napoleonic History and Comparative Literature.

Autorentext

Constantin Floros is professor emeritus of musicology at the University of Hamburg. Among his monographs are volumes on the origin of Gregorian neumes, about Gustav Mahler, Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahms, and Alban Berg.
Ernest Bernhardt-Kabisch is professor emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at Indiana University. He has translated several books by Constantin Floros.

Zusammenfassung
About the German edition of this book:
«Floros' work has shown that the links between the ballet and the symphony are more substantial than has usually been assumed.» (William Kinderman, 1997)
«Floros' monograph presents an innovative synthesis. It has had a great impact on Eroica criticism, and has sparked a trend in interpreting Beethoven's political views.» (Thomas Sipe, 1998)

Inhalt
Contents: Testimonies regarding Beethoven's sources of Inspiration Previous Hypotheses on the Subject of the Eroica The Semantics of the Term «Eroica» The Subject of Salvatore Vigano's Heroic Ballet The Creatures of Prometheus Beethoven's Prometheus Music The Genesis of the Eroica The Eroica in its Relation to the Prometheus Music and Other Works The Titan Prometheus - Bonaparte as viewed by Beethoven and his Time.