Gustavo Dudamel / Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

Paris, December 2nd , 1804. In a grand ceremony at Notre-Dame-Cathedral, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of France. Among the thousands in attendance at the coronation that day was a young man named Simon Bolivar. At once impressed and reviled, the young South American’s mind was gripped by a new vision for the future of his homeland. Meanwhile, as news of Napoleon’s coronation reached Vienna, an enraged Ludwig van Beethoven dashed the hand-written dedication to Bonaparte from the manuscript of his latest symphony. The work would be known as the “Eroica”, and the history of music would never be the same. 

With this recording project, my brothers and sisters of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and I pay homage to two of our greatest inspirations: Beethoven and Bolivar. Two bold, passionate visionaries whose parallel lives straddled the transition from the Enlightenment to the revolutionary Romantic eras, who came of age in the shadow of Napoleon, and went on to dominate the cultural consciousness of their time. Bolivar led millions of South Americans to freedom and became the spiritual father of nations; Beethoven championed the emancipation of art from the sphere of the aristocracy and, in his symphonies, established the compositional and philosophical vocabulary for all music thereafter. 

To realise their goals, both Bolivar and Beethoven overcame tremendous challenges. Bolivar faced colonial armies, survived political intrigues, and suffered personal tragedy, but never lost faith in his vision. Beethoven lost his hearing – perhaps the most cruel fate to befall a musician. And yet, he was able to compose music of such extraordinary humanity and compassion, he is living proof of the ability of musical expression to transcend circumstance. 

This belief, in the transcendent, transformative power of music, is fundamental to the philosophy of El Sistema. As Venezuelans, we feel the living spirit of Bolivar all around us every day. And for us, especially in the Simon Bolivar orchestra, we identify with Beethoven’s spirit and with his music because the two contemporaries, Beethoven and Bolivar, shared the same ideals of freedom and sacri ce. We stand on the shoulders of giants. Just as Bolivar’s words and deeds inspired his countrymen and women to strive for greater causes, Beethoven’s symphonies lead us on a journey to discover our deepest human emotions – and aspire to our highest ideals. It is our great honour and pleasure to share in this journey with you. (Gustavo Dudamel)