Beethoven's early career in Vienna was significantly aided by introductions to leading members of society, establishing him as a remarkable pianist and genius in improvisation and composition.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven continued to revolutionize forms inherited from predecessors like Haydn and Mozart, expanding them and introducing innovations as he grew older.
Composer Biography
The onset of deafness led Beethoven away from a performing career and into composition, where he made significant changes and extensions to existing musical practices.
Performer Biography
The Fine Arts Quartet, described by the Washington Post as 'one of the gold-plated names in chamber music', has an illustrious history of performing and over 200 recorded works.
Album & Artwork
This album is dedicated to Beethoven's neglected string quartet rarities, including the Grosse Fuge, original versions of his quartets Op. 18, No. 1 and Op. 131, and six virtually unknown miniatures.
Composition History
Beethoven's Grosse Fuge, a culmination of his string quartet achievements and mastery of counterpoint, also existed in an arrangement for piano duet.
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