Beethoven, though confident as a pianist and composer in Vienna, approached genres like the string quartet with caution, as standards were set by his teachers Haydn and Mozart.
Composition History
Beethoven extensively revised his first three string quartets, even asking a friend, Carl Amenda (a theologian and violinist), not to share an earlier version of the F major quartet because he had "altered it very considerably, having only just learnt how to write quartets properly."
Compositional Technique
Beethoven deliberately gave each of the six Opus 18 quartets distinctive features, particularly evident in the varied Scherzo movements.
Performer Biography
The Auryn Quartet, named after an amulet from Michael Ende's "The Neverending Story," has been a prominent string quartet for 22 years, influenced by studies with the Amadeus Quartet and Guarneri Quartet.
Composition History
Beethoven prepared for his Opus 18 string quartets by composing preludes, fugues, and a minuet for string quartet, and by copying out quartets by Haydn and Mozart.
Compositional Technique
The six works of Opus 18 are considered a "text-book on the art of quartet writing," balancing the tradition of Haydn and Mozart with Beethoven's unique characteristics.
Critical Reception
Beethoven's first set of quartets was described in an 1801 newspaper report as "very difficult to perform and far from popular."
