April 6, 2024 - Tel Aviv Museum - Israel

In Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, we explore the quest for and abuse of power, through two timeless masterpieces linked to Napoleon Bonaparte. Beethoven's Eroica Symphony symbolizes, more than any other work, the transition from the Classical to the Romantic Style. Beethoven, who supported the ideals of the French Revolution intended to dedicate it to Napoleon, but tore up the dedication page when he learned that Napoleon had declared himself emperor. His eventual title for the symphony, Heroic, celebrates an idea rather than a person. The Symphony will be performed in a new chamber arrangement written for the occasion.

"'Tis done—but yesterday a King! And armed with Kings to strive—And now thou art a nameless thing: So abject—yet alive!"

The bitterly ironic opening of Lord Byron's epic poem Ode to Napoleon establishes the foundation for a comprehensive critique of unrestrained power and authority. The narrator's sarcasm and frequently disturbing imagery are intensified by Schoenberg's utilization of Sprechstimme (a form of speech-song).

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 'Eroica' (arranged for chamber ensemble by Yuval Shapiro)

Arnold Schoenberg Ode to Napoleon for Narrator, String Quartet and Piano

Guy Eshed, flute | Tibi Cziger, clarinet | Daniel Bard, violin | Kobi Malkin, violin | Tomoko Akasaka, viola | Michal Korman, cello | Assaff Weisman, piano | Yair Polishook, baritone