Beethoven's Op. 59 quartets, dedicated to Count Andrey Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador in Vienna, were considered 'the music of a madman' by some contemporary commentators due to their technical difficulty and fragmented nature.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Galitzin Quartets, including Op. 132, are seen as a kind of diary where Beethoven's moods intermingle, with Romain Rolland perceiving Op. 132 as 'Confessions of a multiple soul'.
Composition History
The six string quartets, Op. 18, were not composed in the order they were published; the D major quartet (No. 3) is believed to have been written first.
Compositional Technique
The 'Harp' Quartet, Op. 74, is unique among Beethoven's quartets for ending with a set of variations on an original theme, alternating energetic forte and lyrical dolce sections.
Composition History
The Quartet Op. 132 was commissioned by Prince Nikolai Borisovich Galitzin (Golitsyn) in November 1822, as part of a set of three quartets.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Op. 18 No. 2 quartet, known as the 'Compliments Quartet', features a second movement that abruptly juxtaposes two Adagio cantabile sections with a dancing Allegro.
Composition History
The 'Harp' Quartet, Op. 74, was composed during the War of the Fifth Coalition and the occupation of Vienna by Napoleon's troops, alongside the 'Emperor' Concerto and Piano Sonata Op. 81a.
