Beethoven - "Wellington's Victory"

[visualnickmos]

'Wellington's Victory' is truly awful! I'm unsure why anyone would wish to hear that noisy potboiler. I guess it is the only work of Beethoven I don't enjoy hearing.

Agree. One of those musical curiosities. Surely it must have a paying commission?

[Historian]

Let us not forget that the battle commemorated did not involve Napoleon-Bonaparte himself, but only his brother, Joseph.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bonaparte

Very true, but the Battle of Vittoria (21st bJune 1813) did effectively end Napoleon's control over Spain. The next step in that theatre of war was an invasion of south-western France in 1814 by Wellington's Army. Allied fortunes in 1813 had been decidedly mixed so Wellington's victory brought much-needed good news.

[LMcD]

Many years ago during a weekend break in Dublin we discovered Lyric fm. One of the first pieces we heard was 'Wellington's Victory', which suddenly stopped and was followed by a repeated profuse, almost grovelling apology. I never did find out what that was all about, but the presenter did use the word 'inappropriate' a few times.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Many years ago during a weekend break in Dublin we discovered Lyric fm. One of the first pieces we heard was 'Wellington's Victory', which suddenly stopped and was followed by a repeated profuse, almost grovelling apology. I never did find out what that was all about, but the presenter did use the word 'inappropriate' a few times.

Interesting because Wellington was Anglo - Irish. But that means a complex legacy . There were quite a few Irish soldiers in his various campaigns. He also had misgivings about the series of 19th Irish Famines that has so poisoned relations Over the years but I’m not sure how practically active he was in terms of aid . His brother in arms Nelson had his Column in O’Connell Street blown up in the sixties but I think there’s still a statue to Wellington somewhere in Dublin.

[LHC]

Interesting because Wellington was Anglo - Irish. But that means a complex legacy . There were quite a few Irish soldiers in his various campaigns. He also had misgivings about the series of 19th Irish Famines that has so poisoned relations Over the years but I’m not sure how practically active he was in terms of aid . His brother in arms Nelson had his Column in O’Connell Street blown up in the sixties but I think there’s still a statue to Wellington somewhere in Dublin.

Wellington was also instrumental in passing the Roman Catholic Relief Act in 1829 when he was PM. This removed almost all of the previous restrictions placed on Catholics and meant they could now sit as MPs at Westminster, and was a major step forward. He was, however, always opposed to any form of home role for Ireland, and so may be seen as an equivocal figure in Ireland.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Wellington was also instrumental in passing the Roman Catholic Relief Act in 1829 when he was PM. This removed almost all of the previous restrictions placed on Catholics and meant they could now sit as MPs at Westminster, and was a major step forward. He was, however, always opposed to any form of home role for Ireland, and so may be seen as an equivocal figure in Ireland.

Thanks I had completely forgotten that . I am wading my way through Roy Foster’s Modern Ireland but not even up to Wolf Tone yet.

[Bryn]

Thanks I had completely forgotten that . I am wading my way through Roy Foster’s Modern Ireland but not even up to Wolf Tone yet.

The wonders of thread-drift. Thanks for that. I must chase up that tome.

[gurnemanz]

Also worth remembering Wellington's 1830 Beer House Act, which eased the procedure for obtaining a public house licence, resulting in many grateful new landlords naming their pubs after him.

http://numberonelondon.net/2021/01/the-wellington-connection-beer/

[Ein Heldenleben]

The wonders of thread-drift. Thanks for that. I must chase up that tome.

I flattered myself that I had some grasp of Irish History having read volumes as Diverse as the RTE one volume history and J.C. Beckett and few other works mainly centred around the uprising and civil war but Foster’s work , though masterly , assumes quite a high level of background knowledge. It is very densely written as it covers a lot of history in 590 pages. I also very much enjoyed his The Irish Story which is a must -read if you are interested in Anglo-Irish literature . His summary of Yeats complex political journey is definitive and his takedown of Angela’s Ashes had me laughing out loud.

I think it’s all on thread Wellington’s Victory is as much about myth-making as Angela’s Ashes though it probably has the edge artistically.

[Pabmusic]

Interesting because Wellington was Anglo - Irish...

He certainly was, his father being the politician and composer Garret Wesley, cousin of John and Charles, who became the 1st Earl of Mornington. It was his eldest son who changed the family name to Wellesley, an older version of Wesley. Arthur was a younger son.

[Dermot]

Interesting because Wellington was Anglo - Irish. But that means a complex legacy . There were quite a few Irish soldiers in his various campaigns. He also had misgivings about the series of 19th Irish Famines that has so poisoned relations Over the years but I’m not sure how practically active he was in terms of aid . His brother in arms Nelson had his Column in O’Connell Street blown up in the sixties but I think there’s still a statue to Wellington somewhere in Dublin.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/50060116/wellington-monument-phoenix-park-chapelizod-dublin-dublin-city

The Wellington Monument in the Phoenix Park is known to all Dubliners as just ''the monument''. It was visible from my childhood bedroom. Its sheer size saved it from destruction or vandalism by self-proclaimed ''patriots'' unlike Nelson's Pillar and the monument's neighbour, the magnificent equestrian statue by John Henry Foley of Viscount Gough

https://www.archiseek.com/2013/gough-statue-phoenix-park-dublin/

In this article, an Irish journalist writes about Wellington's relationship with the country of his birth

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/wellington-won-battle-of-waterloo-200-years-ago-but-irish-rejected-his-legacy-1.2254416

[LMcD]

This is, if I may say so, an example of the Forum at its best - although I may never discover the specific reason for that profuse apology on Lyric fm on that October evening, I've learned a great many things about the Duke and Irish history - thank you for all contributions!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There's an interesting Philips/Decca recording of Wellington's Victory (ASMF/Marriner) that begins like an Argo Transacord recording from the 1960s, with bird sounds, horses' hooves and other natural sounds. It works rather well, but the idea has been done to death in Saturday Breakfast, and not nearly as well (or appropriately).

[Ein Heldenleben]

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/bu...in-dublin-city

The Wellington Monument in the Phoenix Park is known to all Dubliners as just ''the monument''. It was visible from my childhood bedroom. Its sheer size saved it from destruction or vandalism by self-proclaimed ''patriots'' unlike Nelson's Pillar and the monument's neighbour, the magnificent equestrian statue by John Henry Foley of Viscount Gough

https://www.archiseek.com/2013/gough-statue-phoenix-park-dublin/

In this article, an Irish journalist writes about Wellington's relationship with the country of his birth

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/w...gacy-1.2254416

Thanks Dermot . it must be vast if it was bigger than the Nelson Pillar . The latter at least earned literary immortality as the place where the two Dublin women spit plum stones over the railings in Ulysses. I was quite surprised to see that The Royal Dublin Fusiliers Arch was unscathed when visiting Dublin ten years ago - my Clonmel born Grandad was in the regiment joining in 1914 . But not as surprised as when my 18 year old son correctly identified a statue of Robert Emmet - turned out he’d been studying him for A levels . Statues aren’t just an issue in the UK ….

Just looked at the picture of the Wellington monument .It’s very similar to the one near Wellington in Somerset.That was in danger of falling down and the NT are spending a fortune on it. You used to be able to walk up an internal staircase I think.

[Ein Heldenleben]

This is, if I may say so, an example of the Forum at its best - although I may never discover the specific reason for that profuse apology on Lyric fm on that October evening, I've learned a great many things about the Duke and Irish history - thank you for all contributions!

If you can face picking your way through the comments underneath the Irish Times article helpfully posted by Dermot its fairly clear why playing Wellington’s Victory on Irish Radio might need a bit of how can one put it ? “pre-emptive contextualisation” maybe….