Symphony

Eroica

5 upcoming performances in New York

Beethoven’s Third Symphony, the “Eroica,” marks a turning point in the public idea of what a symphony could carry: length, argument, and moral weight. In New York, the work has long served as a civic touchstone, heard by generations of orchestras and audiences as the city’s concert life moved from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center. At David Geffen Hall, Gustavo Dudamel leads a program pairing “Eroica” with Frederic Rzewski, framing Beethoven’s heroism against modern political witness. One can hear how Beethoven turns conflict into structure, not ornament.