In 1805, the world of music was set on its collective ear by a new work from a German composer. From the stunning opening chords, Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Symphony, the Eroica, was revolutionary, both intellectually and expressively. And the whiff of actual political revolution was woven into the work, originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte—a dangerous hero for a composer dependent on conservative royal patronage. Part of the illustrated Landmark Library series, this book reconstructs a signal moment in Western culture, the shock of the music, and the symphony's long afterlife.