Wellington's Victory, Op. 91, "Battle Symphony"

Theatricality and spectacular sound effects are the hallmarks of this unusual work that conjures up the life-and-death drama of one of Europe's most decisive battles — the Duke of Wellington's victory over Napoleon in a Basque province in 1813.

First performed in December 1813 at a concert in Vienna to benefit Austrian and Bavarian soldiers wounded at the Battle of Hanau, Wellington's Victory, also known as "The Battle of Vittoria," had been commissioned by Johann Maelzel — inventor, avid promoter, and friend of Beethoven — to exploit patriotic sympathies for Maelzel's financial gain. The result was a wildly popular success beyond expectations of either promoter or composer.

Dover's handsome edition of the score — reprinted from the authoritative Complete Works edition originally published by Breitkopf Härtel — includes facsimile pages from the original publication. Beethoven's original instructions for performance, an annotated instrumentation list, and a prefatory note describe the events that led up to — and followed — the creation of this exceptional work.

Republication of Wellington's Sieg oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria "Wellington's Victory or the Battle of Vittoria", Breitkopf Härtel, Leipzig, 1813.