Late String Quartets (Beethoven)

The following set of string quartets is generally referred to as Beethoven's Late String Quartets, including the Grosse Fuge (which also exists in a piano transcription, opus 134):

• Opus 127: String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major (1825)
• Opus 130: String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major (1825)
• Opus 131: String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor (1826)
• Opus 132: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor (1825)
• Opus 133: Große Fuge in B flat major for string quartet (1826), originally the finale to op. 130
• Opus 135: String Quartet No. 16 in F major (1826)

Overview

Beethoven composed these quartets in the sequence 12, 15, 13, 14, 16, with quartets 15 and 13 being written simultaneously^{citation needed}. The first three of the quartets (numbers 12, 13 and 15) were commissioned in 1822 by Prince Nicholas Galitzin, who in a letter dated 9 November 1822 offered to pay Beethoven: "..what you think proper" for the three works. In his reply of 25 January 1823, Beethoven stated his price: 50 Ducats for each opus.

Appraisal

These six quartets (counting the Große Fuge) comprise the last major, completed compositions by Beethoven, and are widely considered to be among the greatest musical compositions of all time. The musicologist Theodor Adorno, in particular, thought highly of them, and Igor Stravinsky described the Große Fuge as "an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever". Wagner, when reflecting on Op. 131's first movement, said that it "reveals the most melancholy sentiment expressed in music". Also, it is said that upon listening to a performance of the Op. 131 quartet, Schubert remarked, "After this, what is left for us to write?"^{citation needed}

Recordings

Ensembles that have recorded all the late string quartets by Beethoven include;

Alban Berg Quartet, EMI (studio early 80s)

Alban Berg Quartet, EMI (rec. live 1989)

Alexander String Quartet, Foghorn Classics

Amadeus Quartet, DG

Barylli Quartet

Borodin Quartet, Chandos

Budapest String Quartet, Bridge (rec. 1941-60)

Budapest String Quartet, Sony (rec. 1958-61)

Busch Quartet, various labels (rec. 1933-41; no Grosse Fuge)

Cleveland Quartet, RCA (1970s)

Cleveland Quartet, Telarc (1990s)

Colorado Quartet, Parnassus (rec. 2004-06)

Emerson String Quartet, DG

Endellion String Quartet, Warner Classics (2005-06)

Gewandhaus-Quartett, New Classical Adventure (rec. live 1985-98)

Guarneri Quartet, RCA

Hagen Quartett, DG

Hollywood String Quartet, Testament

Hungarian Quartet, (1953 mono) EMI

Hungarian Quartet, (1960s stereo) EMI

Juilliard String Quartet, CBS studio late 60s

Juilliard String Quartet, CBS (rec. live 1982)

Kodaly Quartet, Naxos

Lasalle Quartet, DG (reissued on Brilliant Classics)

Leipziger Streichquartett, MDG

Lindsays, ASV

Medici Quartet, Nimbus

Melos Quartett, DG

Orford String Quartet, Delos

Orion String Quartet, Koch Classics (2008)

Petersen Quartett, Capriccio

Prazak Quartet, Praga

Quartetto Italiano, Decca

Smetana Quartet, Supraphon

Suske Quartett, Berlin Classics

Takács Quartet, Decca (2005)

Talich Quartet, Calliope

Taneyev Quartet, Boheme

Tokyo String Quartet, RCA (1993)

Tokyo String Quartet, Harmonia Mundi (2010)

Vanbrugh Quartet, Intim Musik (1996)

Vermeer Quartet, Teldec, (rec. 1984-89)

Vegh Quartet, (1952 Les Discophiles Français) Music & Arts

Vegh Quartet, (1972 Telefunken) Naïve-Astrée

Wihan Quartet, Nimbus

Yale Quartet, Vanguard

See also

• List of compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven

References

• Miller, Lucy, Adams to Zemlinsky (2006) Concert Artists Guild, ISBN 1-892862-09-3

External links

An analysis of the antecedents of the late quartets in Haydn's string quartets. Also [1]