Beethoven's Op. 59 quartets, known as the 'Razumovsky' or 'Russian' Quartets, were commissioned by Count Andreas Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven aimed to compose music that would unite people through fundamental human elements, rather than for a specific societal group.
Performer Biography
The Calidore String Quartet, the performers on this album, won the $100,000 Grand Prize of the 2016 M-Prize International Chamber Music Competition.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven included Russian folk tunes in all three of his Op. 59 quartets, explicitly paying homage to his Russian patron, Count Andreas Razumovsky.
Composer Biography
Beethoven himself entitled his String Quartet No. 11, Op. 95, 'Quartett[o] Serioso' in the autograph score.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's String Quartet No. 10, Op. 74, is nicknamed 'The Harp' due to its use of pizzicato in the first movement.
Critical Reception
Early listeners and performers found Beethoven's middle quartets challenging, with responses ranging from laughter and incomprehension to the trampling of sheet music.
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Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 18, Nos. 1 and 2
Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18 Nos. 4 & 5
Beethoven Quartets Op. 18, 1 & 2
Beethoven: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3; String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18 No. 4
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp" & String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Quartetto serioso"
