Wellington and Beethoven

I'm not very up on classical music, but I can recognise the melodies of the major works, even though I can't say for sure what they're called or who composed them. I know enough to be able to place at least 2 major works that were composed during or dedicated to events during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars; namely the Eroica Symphony, or Symphony no.3, Op.55 (originally dedicated to Napoleon, but Beethoven later furiously scratched out his name after Bonaparte crowned himself emperor in 1804); and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, dedicated to the heroic resistance to and defeat of the French invasion of Russia.

What I didn't know until recently was that Beethoven knocked out a tribute to Wellington after his victory over King Joseph and Marshal Jourdan at Vitoria in 1813. Apparently not considered one of his greatest works (I suppose that's why it's not so well known), Beethoven reportedly said in his defense against criticism "What I shit is better than anything you could ever think up!"

Interestingly Beethoven was first given the idea to write the piece as a score for a mechanical orchestra, or panharmonium, invented by a friend of his, but later expanded it to a conventional orchestra piece. Read more about it here

So, enjoy some of Beethoven's shit!

(Found a new version of the whole piece from start to finish. Be patient: it doesn't start until about the 1:45 mark)

Wellington's Victory or the Battle Symphony, Op.91