Wellington's Victory
Wellington's Victory, or, the Battle of Vitoria, Op. 91 (Wellingtons Sieg oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria) is a minor orchestral work composed by Ludwig van Beethoven to commemorate the Duke of Wellington's victory over Joseph Bonaparte's forces at the Battle of Vitoria in Spain on 21 June 1813. It is also known sometimes as "The Battle Symphony" or "The Battle of Vitoria", and was dedicated to the Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom. The piece proved to be a substantial moneymaker for Beethoven.
A common (and understandable) misconception among commentators is that the piece commemorates Wellington's defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo, but it does not.
Read more about Wellington's Victory: Premiere, Orchestration, The Panharmonicon, The Composition Today
Famous quotes containing the words wellington and/or victory:
“When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte,
As every child can tell,
The House of Peers, throughout the war,
Did nothing in particular,
And did it very well:”
—Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)
“It is not the cause for which men took up arms that makes a victory more just or less, it is the order that is established when arms have been laid down.”
—Simone Weil (1909–1943)