String Quartet No. 14 in C♯ minor, Op. 131 - Ludwig van Beethoven

String Quartet No. 14 in C♯ minor, Op. 131 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven completed this string quartet in 1826, with the work not being publicly performed or published until after Beethoven’s death. Beethoven remarked that it was the favourite of his late quartets (his final string quartets, from No. 12 to No. 16). The work is considered revolutionary for the format at the time, with composers such as Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert giving exceptionally high praise for the structure of the quartet.

In particular, Schubert would say of the work “After this, what is left for us to write?”. In the week before Schubert’s death, the composer requested that this work be performed for him. It is likely the last music he heard before his death.

The work was dedicated to Baron Joseph von Stutterheim in gratitude for the Baron taking Karl van Beethoven (Beethoven’s nephew) into the army after Karl had attempted suicide.

The work is comprised of 7 movements: I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo 00:00 II. Allegro molto vivace 06:02 III. Allegro moderato – Adagio 09:09 IV. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile – Andante moderato e lusinghiero – Adagio – Allegretto – Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice – Allegretto 09:57 V. Presto 23:32 VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante 28:54 VII. Allegro 30:41