Ludwig van Beethoven [1770-1828]
Third symphony op.55 ‘Eroica’
Luigi Cherubini [1760-1842]
Requiem in C minor
Collegium Vocale Gent choir
Orchestre des Champs Elysées orchestra
Maria van Nieukerken choir master
Philippe Herreweghe conductor
In Napoleon’s footsteps
New
Luigi Cherubini’s Requiem in C minor from 1816, composed in memory of the executed King Louis XVI, is considered one of his most moving works. Scored without soloists but with strikingly dark orchestration, Cherubini creates a restrained, solemn atmosphere that deeply impressed contemporaries such as Beethoven and Schumann. This masterful requiem, in which classical form and emotional intensity converge, is paired with Beethoven’s revolutionary Third Symphony – originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, whom Beethoven first saw as a symbol of liberty and heroism, but later rejected in disillusionment after Napoleon crowned himself emperor. The result is a fascinating confrontation between mourning for the old regime and the heroism of a new era – a musical reflection on Napoleon’s complex legacy.