Kurt Masur Conducts Beethoven | Deutsche Welle

Beethoven's Third Symphony in E-flat Major was originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte -- but only for a short time.The composer had admired the ruler, but when the news came that he had declared himself Emperor, Beethoven ripped up the title page where he had written the dedication and produced another, giving it the new title Sinfonia Eroica, or the Heroic Symphony. Performing is the Orchestre National de France, conducted by the legendary Kurt Masur. This concert was part of a series where the complete nine symphonies of Beethoven were presented as part of the 2008 Beethoven Festival in Bonn.