Ludwig van Beethoven By the 19th cent., Beethoven's work could
already be divided into three fairly distinct periods. The works
of the first period include the First (1800) and Second (1802)
Symphonies; the first three piano concertos (1795–1800); the
first group of string quartets (1800); and a number of piano
sonatas, among them the Pathétique (1798) and the Moonlight
Sonata (1801). Although the compositions of the first period
have Beethoven's unmistakable breadth and vitality, they are
dominated by the tradition of Haydn and Mozart. Beginning about
1802, Beethoven's work took on new dimensions. The premiere in
1805 of the massive Third Symphony, known as the Eroica
(composed 1803–4), was a landmark in cultural history. It
signaled a definitive break with the past and the birth of a new
era. The length, structure, harmonies, and orchestration of the
Eroica all broke the formal conventions of classical music;
unprecedented too was its intention—to celebrate human freedom
and nobility. The symphony was origi