Beethoven's 'Eroica': Opening Chords Change From 1924 To 2011 (VIDEO)

Every Version Of Beethoven's 'Eroica' Opening

Known to Hitchcock buffs as Norman Bates' favorite symphony, Beethoven's "Eroica" bears more than a dirty-sounding name (although "eroica" is actually Italian for "heroic," not "erotic," as Hitchcock wanted you to think). It's also got a pair of distinctive opening chords that, it turns out, mutate. From 1924 to 2011, recordings of the symphony feature an opening that often sounds wildly different from the one before: sometimes flat, sometimes long, and sometimes cut off so short you'd think the conductor was in a bad mood (hello 1938?). It's enough to make for a weirdly entertaining Youtube compilation. And surprise surprise! We've posted a weirdly entertaining Youtube compilation below.

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