Beethoven’s “Heroic” symphony transformed the genre. It was more massive, ambitious, and innovative than any music that had been written before. In many ways, it represents the turning point from classical to romantic music. Heroism, despair, mourning and triumph are just some of the emotions represented in a piece that uses rhythm and a driving force as an equal partner to melody. Reflecting on “Eroica,” Leonard Bernstein marveled at “the mysterious genius of a man who is capable of uniting all contradictions into one single, perfect entity.”