Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

http://musicalassumptions.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/some-suggestions-about-listening-to.html[22/04/2013 16:59:14]

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Some Suggestions About Listening toBeethoven String QuartetsA lot has been said and written about the sublime nature ofBeethoven's late string quartets, but it seems that some peopleinterested in listening to them might not know how to begin toappreciate or even understand the qualities that make themgreat. Some people might find it intimidating when someonelike Cornel West casually tosses his love for Beethoven's latestring quartets into his discussions about philosophy."Understanding" a logical argument is very different from"understanding" a piece of music, because music strives toorganize emotion and emotional experience in time. It would beinteresting to hear a discussion about Beethoven betweenCornel West and someone like Maynard Solomon. West mightend up appearing to those "in the know" like the way LeonardBernstein appeared when he attempted to talk about linguistics.

For string players the Beethoven String Quartets are like whatthe Pentateuch is to theologians: a constant source of study andwonder. Each one is like a complicated person who becomes anintimate friend. We all know that the more you try to understandthe people closest to you, the more of a mystery they become.When you throw love into the mix, it is nearly impossible toreally "know" somebody. By the same reasoning, it is nearlyimpossible to "know" any of the Beethoven Quartets, but it issure compelling to keep trying. My purpose here is not toprovide analysis and insight. It is simply to make anintroduction and suggest a listening order. It is similar to theorder that I use to introduce his quartets to my students, and itis extremely personal.

ELAINE FINE

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Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

http://musicalassumptions.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/some-suggestions-about-listening-to.html[22/04/2013 16:59:14]

The best way to "understand" Beethoven's later quartets is bybecoming familiar with his earlier quartets. One thing to bear inmind is that the six quartets of Opus 18, Beethoven's first set ofquartets, are not "less mature" Beethoven. They do use many ofthe 18th-century conventions used by Mozart and Haydn, andthe Opus 18 Quartets do show Mozart's and Haydn's influence,but they are not, by any stretch of the imagination, imitations.Not being able to "better" either Mozart or Haydn, Beethovenre-invented the string quartet with his Opus 18. He began hisstring-quartet-composing life at the age of 30, and he ended itat the age of 56 with his final Quartet, Opus 135, six monthsbefore he died.

The six Opus 18 Quartets are all in four movements. They werewritten at the turn of the century (18th to 19th), and each onelasts about 25 minutes (following the conventions of the time).The fourth Quartet of the opus (not following the conventionsof the time) has two movements in ternary form, a Scherzo anda Minuet, and the third Quartet doesn't have a movement internary form at all.

I would begin listening with Opus 18, but I would start with #4,the very intense Quartet in C minor. Next I would listen to Opus18 #1 in F major, leaving the rest of the opus for later listening.I would next suggest listening to the third of the Opus 59Quartets, but I would first listen to the Mozart Quartet K 465(the "Dissonance Quartet"), the last of the six string quartetsthat Mozart dedicated to Haydn. Beethoven's Opus 59 #3 is anout-and-out tribute to the Mozart. Listen to the introduction ofthe Mozart, then listen to the introduction of the Beethoven.You may not know how to put it into words, or how to analyzeit, but you will understand the relationship immediately.

The other two Opus 59 Quartets are a bit longer than the Opus18 Quartets, and they incorporate some very exciting Russianfolk material. I would listen to #2 before listening to #1, butthat's just personal (it's the order in which I first learned them).Go on to Opus 74, the "Harp" Quartet, and notice how, like twoof the Opus 59 Quartets, the line between the third and fourthmovements blurs. The tempo changes, but there is no pausebetween movements. Go back and listen to the rest of the Opus18 Quartets. You will notice a distinct difference in style fromthe Opus 59 Quartets and the Opus 74, but you will not noticea change in quality: all of Beethoven's string quartets aremasterpieces.

Now it's time for Opus 95, the "Serioso" Quartet. Written in1810, and clocking in at 20 minutes, it is the shortest of thequartets. It is also one of the most intense, because there isjust so much packed into those 20 minutes. There is also a bitof shape shifting going on here, with a sudden connectionbetween the second and third movements, several abrupt

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Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

http://musicalassumptions.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/some-suggestions-about-listening-to.html[22/04/2013 16:59:14]

changes in key, and a final movement that seems to haveseveral different personalities. We have now arrived in the worldof late Beethoven.

At this point, I would advise people new to this to start from the"back of the book." Opus 135 is only 26 minutes long, it's inthe key of F major, and, aside from the final movement (called"Der schwer gefasste Entschluss"), it follows the shape of thequartets in Opus 18. I would advise listening to it with thescore. Even if you don't read music, you will appreciate having itfor the last movement. Go back and listen to Opus 18 #1(here's the score), and then listen to Opus 95 again.

Beethoven wrote the Opus 127 Quartet in 1824, after taking a14-year hiatus from string quartet writing. This piece soundslike the polar opposite of the Opus 95 "Serioso" Quartet, thelast string quartet he wrote before his hiatus (during which hewrote his later Piano Sonatas and his 9th Symphony). Opus 127is as expansive as the Opus 95 is contracted, and for me itmarks Beethoven's leap from the more concrete to the moreabstract in quartet writing.

Now it's time for Opus 132 in A minor. It takes 42 minutes orso, and there are a lot of tempo changes, key changes, andeven more changes of mood. Allow yourself to hold onto thethe reigns of the movement segments that seem to follow thelaws of gravity, and allow yourself to be suspended when themusic suspends you. The logic behind the structure of this oneis all Beethoven's. You can't second guess him (even if you areplaying). Sometimes when listening to this piece you can't evenremember where you have been.

Opus 131, in C-sharp minor, is a deeply serious work. Unlikeanything we have heard in this particular order, it begins with areally long Adagio that serves as an introduction to a very shortAllegro. During the piece's 37 minutes or so, it changes tempothirteen times, and all of the movements are played "attacca" orwithout a pause between them, so it can be really difficult tokeep track of where you are. The fourth movement, which isdivided into several sections, and has the only repeat mark inthe whole quartet, is almost a quartet within a quartet. Youmight recognize the fifth movement has a motive thatBeethoven quotes in the last movement of his last quartet, Opus135. If this quartet boggles your mind, you are not alone. Youhave generations of equally-boggled listeners. After repeatedhearings, it often comes out as a real favorite.

Now we have arrived at Opus 130, which, complete with theGrosse Fugue, takes more than 50 minutes to perform. Afterlistening to Opus 131 you should find this six-movementQuartet rather tuneful and easy to follow. It begins with a slowintroduction (if you have heard any of the earlier Quartets of

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Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

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Mendelssohn, you will find it strangely familiar), and continuestunefully along. After the loveliest of Cavatinas, Beethoven topsthis quartet off with a 16-minute fugue that is almost asdifficult to follow by ear (or by score) as it is to play. This is oneof the movements that scares listeners away from lateBeethoven. I first heard it when I was in a class with DavidDiamond at Juilliard, and I didn't know what to make of it. NowI love it, but it has taken a long for that love to develop. It tookme more than twenty years just be able to follow the workingsof the counterpoint, so don't despair.

Beethoven's audience didn't like the Fugue, and his publishersuggested that the piece should be published with analternative Finale. The Grosse Fugue was published as aseparate opus (133). My preferred way of listening to this pieceis with both the Fugue and the Finale!

I own many sets of Beethoven Quartets, so I can make a fewrecommendations:

The Borodin set on Chandos is one of my current favorites, as isthe Alban Berg's set, which has also been recorded on DVD. TheLeipzig String Quartet also has an excellent set. The VeghQuartet's 1952 set is exceptional, as is the Quartetto Italiano'sset. I like the Colorado Quartet's set a lot (they observe all ofBeethoven's repeats), and I like the Eroica Quartet's set (theyuse 19th century instruments).

My favorite recording of Opus 130 (with the Grosse Fugue) isthe 1984 Vermeer Quartet recording on Teldec. I don't know ifit is still available on CD, but I did find an LP on ebay.

There are a lot more Beethoven Quartet performances onYouTube, and all the scores are available (for free) right here.

POSTED BY ELAINE FINE AT 9:14 AM

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Bill said...

Elaine, we were able to recently pick up the complete setof Quartets by the Vermeer on CD (Brian loves studyingwith Shmuel Askkenasi), on Ebay I think. So they're stillout there.

9/6/10 12:35 PM

momo17 said...

Fantastic article! I loved the Op 18 and 59 quartets

Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

http://musicalassumptions.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/some-suggestions-about-listening-to.html[22/04/2013 16:59:14]

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immediately. Op 74 & 95 took just a bit longer and thelate quartets get the least play, yet I LOVE Op 133, theGrosse Fugue. Seeing it live helped immensely. Anyways I'll be doing a post on Op 59.1 on myBeethoven blog in a few days...I did the "HeiligerDankgesang" last week.

http://lvbandmore.blogspot.com/

14/8/10 8:53 PM

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this well-written and remarkably unassumingcommentary on the Beethoven string quartets. I am justgetting started on them, and I am very happy to haveyour input! :D

19/1/11 5:28 PM

Anonymous said...

I have now listened to the first movement of Opus 18,No. 1 a couple of times through. I smile at the dialoguetherein between the rigid and the flowing, the stodgyand the free-spirited. Who wins this debate? A thirdparty called passion? :D Great stuff!!!

20/1/11 8:13 AM

Anonymous said...

Here are some more reactions to Opus 18, No. 1:Movement 1: extreme playfulness; joyful instrumentschasing after each other; with breaths of whimsy.Movement 2: pensive at first, then forceful, then pensiveagain, then forceful. No simple feelings here. Movement3: a dance feel, but far from a straightforward Haydn-like minuet, this is off-beat, bent, stretched, smeared,then falling back into old familiar lines. Movement 4:exuberant sound

21/1/11 9:00 AM

Anonymous said...

I listened all this evening to the Op. 18 No. 1, mostly onYou Tube, which has movements 1, 2, and 4 with the ABQuartet. And suddenly I craved a calmer sound, andturned to Haydn Op. 76, No. 60, Movement 2...ahhhsuch calm, such expanding, full-bodied peacefulness,such pleasing, round sound, such reassuring and heart-warming familiarity, all is right with the world whenthere is Haydn's glowing light a-shinin' on me. ThisBeethoven stuff is going to take some getting usedto...:D

Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

http://musicalassumptions.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/some-suggestions-about-listening-to.html[22/04/2013 16:59:14]

21/1/11 8:18 PM

Anonymous said...

More reaction to Op. 18 movement 2: I have never beenafraid of sadness and longing...as long as they are keptsweet. Movement 2 of Op. 18 begins in that sweetly sadand longing way. I open to it. And it sings to me. But atthe 4th minute of this piece, the sadness begins to turninto something downright frightening. The HEAT, theINTENSITY, the PASSION of the sadness introducessomething difficult for my naturally timid system toaccommodate. At 5 minutes and 30 seconds (of the ABrendering) the repeated blasts from the second violinand viola while the first violin continues with the sadtheme is deeply shocking, off-putting, difficult, scary.Now I am on my guard even though the piece returns tothe "straightness" of its beginning; now I am anticipatingmore jarring blasts of "ugly" raw passion...I am edgy-feeling. And at 8:05, we begin one more journey intohell. Now the movement is finished, and I am leftmarveling at the depth of raw, painful feeling it contains.What truthful revelation of broken soul it represents.And I see that I need it. I need to be dug.

22/1/11 8:03 AM

Elaine Fine said...

Anonymous: It seems that you are bringing a great dealof yourself into your Beethoven experience.

You might try listening to different performances of thesame movement (by different quartets), and see if thebalances of your reactions change in any way.

22/1/11 8:23 AM

Anonymous said...

is it improper to bring so much of myself into theexperience of music? i am not a musical professionaland don't know what is proper or preferred? i am opento advice...

22/1/11 8:34 AM

Elaine Fine said...

There is no proper or preferred when listening to music!Perhaps it might be a good idea to keep a privatelistening journal, and keep track of your reactions tovarious quartets over time. It might be personallyrevealing. There is nothing wrong (or improper) aboutusing Beethoven (or any music) as a means for emotionalgrowth.

Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

http://musicalassumptions.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/some-suggestions-about-listening-to.html[22/04/2013 16:59:14]

I would take a journal book and divide it equally amongthe Beethoven Quartets--perhaps allowing 20 pages orso for each one. Date your listening entries, and writeyour responses. The next time you listen to a particularquartet, begin with a fresh page--and don't peek atyour previous reaction. Eventually you will have adocument that allows you to see how you have grown asa listener, and how much of your response issubjectively "of the moment" (nothing wrong with that),and how much of your response has to do with theparticular performance.

After playing and listening to these quartets for manyyears (particularly Opus 18), my experience alwayschanges with each listening. I'm always aware of newthings.

22/1/11 9:41 AM

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this excellent guide.

I love the Razumovsky Quartets and, after severallistenings, I have come to enjoy the Opus 127. But theother late quarters have been a bit beyond me so far.

This encouraged me to acquire the other string quartetsand so work through your recommendations and I wasfound a complete set of the Quartets recorded by theMedici String Quartet on Amazon for £10 (hope theselive up to the billing). Now looking to explore thesemasterpieces in more depth.

More power to you!

Dr John Eaton

21/11/11 12:34 PM

Peter Chabanowich said...

This is certainly a fantastic article and one to which I willrefer in the future when I am able to procure them onvinyl. Peter Chabanowich

21/1/12 4:20 PM

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy the Busch Quartet's interpretation of thelate string quartets. Especially Op. 131.

6/5/12 4:44 PM

Musical Assumptions: Some Suggestions About Listening to Beethoven String Quartets

http://musicalassumptions.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/some-suggestions-about-listening-to.html[22/04/2013 16:59:14]

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Anonymous said...

Why in the world would anyone be intimidated by CornelWest?

6/12/12 10:21 PM