5 Things to Know About Beethoven’s Eroica Funeral March

The second movement is a funeral march, titled Marcia funebre. This was an unusual structural choice for a symphony at the time.

It is the slow movement of the Eroica. Most symphonies of the era used a slow, lyrical adagio or andante, not a march.

The march is in C minor, a key often associated with tragedy. This sets a somber, dramatic tone that contrasts with the heroic first movement.

The movement features a recurring rhythmic pattern. This pattern mimics the sound of muffled drums, reinforcing the funeral atmosphere.

It influenced later composers. The use of a funeral march in a symphony became a model for works like Mahler’s symphonies.