Two Beethoven’s Quartets. We don’t feature string quartets often enough. Some of the most sublime and sophisticated music has been written for this intimate ensemble, but till recently our library was rather poor in this regard. Fortunately, young musicians at the Steans Institute play quite a lot of this wonderful music in informal ensembles. In anticipation of Beethoven’s birthday on December 16, here are two recordings made at the Steans.
The traditional sequencing of Beethoven’s three string quartets opp. 130,131 and 132 is somewhat misleading. Beethoven wrote Quartet no 15, op.132 first, in 1825 (it is actually his 13th quartet, the number 15 is the order that this quartet was published in, not written). The majestic Op. 130 with the Große Fuge finale followed later the same year. Op. 131 was completed in 1826.
Beethoven composed String Quartet in a minor, op. 132 following a serious illness, which he thought was fatal (in the score, above the third movement, Beethoven wrote the inscription which reads, in translation: “Song of thanksgiving to the Diety on recovery from an illness, written in the Lydian mode”). This vast movement (almost 17 minutes long, it starts 18 minutes 30 seconds into the performance) is undoubtedly the epicenter of the work, not just structurally but emotionally. Beethoven, who in later years became greatly interested in the old ecclesiastical modes, modeled it along the lines of variations on a cantus firmus with intervening episodes. We’ll hear this quartet (here) performed by Miho Saegusa, violin, Miriam Fried, violin (teachers at the Steans often play alongside their students), Vicki Powell, viola and the recent Tchaikovsky winner Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello.
Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in c-sharp minor, op. 131 was completed in 1826. The c-sharp minor quartet is wholly unique, even in Beethoven’s oeuvre. Comprised of seven movements played continuously without break, it runs for about 40 minutes. From the opening movement, Adagio, written as a fugue rather than in the traditional sonata form, its themes develop in a continuous flow, without pause, weaving one into another. It is performed by Miho Saegusa, violin, Kobi Malkin, violin, Alex Link, viola, and Karen Ouzounian, cello. To listen, click here.
December 5, 2011
Two Beethoven’s Quartets. We don’t feature string quartets often enough. Some of the most sublime and sophisticated music has been written for this intimate ensemble, but till recently our library was rather poor in this regard. Fortunately, young musicians at the Steans Institute play quite a lot of this wonderful music in informal ensembles. In anticipation of Beethoven’s birthday on December 16, here are two recordings made at the Steans.
The traditional sequencing of Beethoven’s three string quartets opp. 130,131 and 132 is somewhat misleading. Beethoven wrote Quartet no 15, op.132 first, in 1825 (it is actually his 13th quartet, the number 15 is the order that this quartet was published in, not written). The majestic Op. 130 with the Große Fuge finale followed later the same year. Op. 131 was completed in 1826.
Beethoven composed String Quartet in a minor, op. 132 following a serious illness, which he thought was fatal (in the score, above the third movement, Beethoven wrote the inscription which reads, in translation: “Song of thanksgiving to the Diety on recovery from an illness, written in the Lydian mode”). This vast movement (almost 17 minutes long, it starts 18 minutes 30 seconds into the performance) is undoubtedly the epicenter of the work, not just structurally but emotionally. Beethoven, who in later years became greatly interested in the old ecclesiastical modes, modeled it along the lines of variations on a cantus firmus with intervening episodes. We’ll hear this quartet (here) performed by Miho Saegusa, violin, Miriam Fried, violin (teachers at the Steans often play alongside their students), Vicki Powell, viola and the recent Tchaikovsky winner Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello.
Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in c-sharp minor, op. 131 was completed in 1826. The c-sharp minor quartet is wholly unique, even in Beethoven’s oeuvre. Comprised of seven movements played continuously without break, it runs for about 40 minutes. From the opening movement, Adagio, written as a fugue rather than in the traditional sonata form, its themes develop in a continuous flow, without pause, weaving one into another. It is performed by Miho Saegusa, violin, Kobi Malkin, violin, Alex Link, viola, and Karen Ouzounian, cello. To listen, click here.