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Today, let’s talk Beethoven.
A little known fact about me is that I played classical piano as a child for 12 years. I didn’t have a natural talent for it, but my mom insisted I keep playing. For college applications. Because studies showed playing piano made you better at math. Because she never had the chance to have piano lessons growing up.
I haven’t touched a piano since I turned 18, but all of that training and experience has left me with an interest in classical composers.
So I thought it very interesting when I read that Ludwig van Beethoven once wrote an orchestral piece entirely based on events that happened in the Basque Country.
My obscure interests in classical music and the Basque Country have aligned!
Beethoven’s Opus 19, “Wellington’s Victory” commemorates the Battle of Vitoria during the Peninsular War. (Vitoria, may I remind you, is the Spanish name for the Basque city of Gasteiz, capital of the province of Araba.)
The Battle of Vitoria
British, Portuguese, and Spanish forces led by General Wellington absolutely destroyed Napoleon’s French army outside Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque Country on June 21, 1813.
This victory led to the Allied forces eventually winning the Peninsular War and reclaiming Spain from Napoleon.
Each side of the battle lost about the same number of men, about 5,000 each.
You would think the losing side would have had more casualties, but as the French retreated, they abandoned all of their equipment. The Allied soldiers were too distracted by all of the things they could pillage, so they ended up looting rather than pursuing the enemy.
You can imagine General Wellington wasn’t too happy about that!
Beethoven’s Composition
Since most of Europe hated Napoleon during this time, the Allied victory at the Battle of Vitoria was widely celebrated. At the suggestion of his friend, Beethoven composed an orchestral piece to commemorate it.
“Wellington’s Victory” was first performed in Vienna in December 1813, as a benefit concert to raise money for wounded Austrian and Bavarian soldiers. It was then played throughout Europe and turned out to be a wild success that made Beethoven a good amount of money.
And it’s an exciting (unusual?) piece because it actually includes cannons firing to really get you into the battle spirit.
You can listen to an excerpt of “Wellington’s Victory” being played by a pianist of the Basque diaspora here:
Pianist Anton Achondoa is a Filipino American of Basque, Portuguese, and Chinese descent. If you’re a fan of classical music, check out his YouTube channel.
This Beethoven piece has fallen out of fashion today and had its own critics during Beethoven’s time.
Beethoven responded to the criticism in a very blunt way Basques might be proud of: “What I shit is better than anything you could ever think up!”
That’s probably true.
CONTINUE READING:
- How Napoleon’s Nephew Played a Vital Role in Understanding the Basque Language
- Why the Basque Country Has a Statue of Author Ken Follett
- Go Back in Time with this Documentary on the Basque Country by Orson Welles
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