Beethoven's symphonic contemporaries.

[eschiss1]

I'll see if I can find out. Hrm. Beethoven's 3rd was composed apparently around 1802-4, premiered in 1805 (and while it's not Anton Reicha you're looking for, his one or two published symphonies in E-flat major, opp. 41 and 42, were published in 1803, apparently. ... Hrm.)

[khorovod]

Anton Eberl?

Eberl is another composer who I was thinking of, but it isn't him.  Leonhardt?  Or was it von Somethingorother?  Help me, fellas!  Of course, I may be off by a few years, too.

Hmmm. I am at a loss then. Eberl deserves mention though, I know his E-flat symphony was (first publicly?) performed at the same concert as the Eroica and got much better reviews and was held as an example to Beethoven of what could be achieved without "affectation" and bizarreness. It's not a serious rival to the Eroica, though I do rate it very highly and the one that followed in D minor, both were recorded (IIRC) by Concerto Koln. Apparently there were public outpourings of grief when he died and crowds turned up for his funeral.