About this edition
Composed between 1803 and 1804, Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 stands as one of the great turning points in Western music — the work in which the symphony was decisively transformed from a refined Classical form into a vehicle for monumental personal expression. Nearly twice the length of any symphony that preceded it, the "Eroica" introduces the famous funeral march as its second movement, a fugal scherzo with three horns, and a finale built on the theme Beethoven had already used in his Prometheus ballet and the Op. 35 piano variations.
This score reproduces the authoritative text published in Ludwig van Beethovens Werke, Serie 1: Symphonien, No. 3, issued in Leipzig by Breitkopf und Härtel circa 1862 (plate B.3). The Breitkopf Gesamtausgabe, prepared in the decades following Beethoven's death, was the first comprehensive critical edition of the composer's works and remained the standard reference text for performers, conductors, and scholars for well over a century. Its clarity of engraving and careful editorial work have made it a touchstone of the Beethoven performance tradition, and many subsequent editions trace their lineage directly back to it.
About this edition:
- Format: Full orchestral conductor's score (all instrumental parts in score order)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches — convenient for study, library shelving, and rehearsal use
- Source text: Breitkopf und Härtel Gesamtausgabe, Serie 1, No. 3 (c. 1862), plate B.3
- Reproduced from: A historical public domain edition
- Publisher: Purple 4R Publishing
This volume makes a landmark of the orchestral repertoire freely available once more by reproducing a historical edition that has long since entered the public domain. We're delighted to bring this beautifully engraved score back into the hands of conductors, students, performers, and enthusiasts who want to study the "Eroica" directly from one of its most respected sources.
