Last Saturday evening the Penn's Woods Philharmonia closed its season with performances of Beethoven's Third Symphony in E flat major (his Eroica) and a Brahms Variation on a theme by Haydn.

Despite some minor hitches in the string section, the Penn's Woods Philharmonia gave a quality close to a fine summer. This season featured works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Kodaly and Haydn in four evening performances and six chamber music recitals.

The first piece, Beethoven's Eroica was a decisive break with the traditional styles of Mozart and Haydn.

First performed on April 7, 1804 in Vienna, it was composed mostly in 1803, but parts date to pre-1800.

The Eroica (or Heroic) was obviously dedicated to Napoleon - a man Beethoven greatly admired. But when Napoleon ambitiously crowned himself French Emperor, Beethoven responded in disgust by tearing out the dedication of The Great Symphony of Bonaparte and renaming it simply the Heroic Symphony.

It is however difficult to determine what Beethoven found exactly heroic about the piece except for his use of the eclat triumphal - a grandiose entrance of brass assimilated by Beethoven after the style of the French Revolution.

Perhaps he had in mind the more poetic ideal of the hero as one who is not one of military strength but simply a man who goes beyond his peers - "un grande umo."

The first movement announces the theme in its use of a simple triad that becomes quite unusually extended, presenting it in not only brilliant and powerful scoring but also various modified forms.

The second movement is a slow funeral march which possibly places the hero in expectation of death. This is followed by the accentuated scherzo movement which is accented with the trio-based sound in horns.

The finale is the eventual combination of the theme with the emphatic, independent related horn line. It closes with full pomp and triumph.

Penn's Woods gave proper emphasis in the beginning chords moving from the bright opening to the lyric force of the first movement with a textured blend in the strings.

This changed with the timing problems between first and second violins, the first of the violin section's difficulties. The start of the second movement is supposed to be more somber but was given a trodden, sloppy sound by the violins. Poor intonation, timing and attacks, in a movement that is defined by the contrast between lines of pathos and anger, need to be mentioned.

Transition didn't seem to be clear enough nor the resolves dramatic enough. In general, Director Douglas Meyer didn't seem to ask too much from this orchestra.

A most redeeming quality came in the third movement with the horn solos. They were executed with precision and style.

The finale was markedly improved with a harmonious use of the pizzicato, an impressive flute solo and the expressive counter-melody in the reeds.

Despite these critical comments, the overall mood of the piece was good and well centered. It captured most of the grandeur of Beethoven's "heroism."

By the time Johannes Brahms wrote his Variations in 1873 he was already a master of fine piano quartets, an E-minor cello sonata, a horn trio, variations on Paganini and Handel, as well as an innovation of the classical symphony.

The theme of the piece was originally attributed to Haydn and was presumably scored for an outdoor military ensemble in 1780.

It is the setting actually for the old Austrian folk hymn known as "Chorale St. Antoni."

It premiered in Vienna on June 2, 1873, conducted by Brahms.

The theme is immediately stated in the first movement with strings and rhythmic emphasis from winds who weave graceful patterns around the harmonic skeleton.

Variation II offers sharp contrast not only because it is in the minor but because of a rhythmic kick that sends each phrase on its way.

The next two are lyrical in nature. They flow seamlessly, disturbed only by elegant counter figures in the woodwinds. The dark sound of the horns became almost lilting.

It all moves to a Presto until the Andante finale.

The Philharmonic handled the Brahms piece with more control and more precision. Yes, there were some foggy string entrances again, but with less frequency than in Eroica.

The audience in Schwab Auditorium, though, was pleased. After three bows, the orchestra treated the audience to an encore of Brahms Fourth Hungarian Dance, a piece that gave a proper good night to all.