During his lifetime, Beethoven composed sixteen quartets for strings: the first six, before the age of thirty, grouped under Opus 18; the five culminating the series, finished during the last four years of his life when deafness had preyed on the master. Of course, the quartets are not the genre that keeps Beethoven in the high regard of the general public today, but, in the opinion of scholars, they represent the most valuable and profound part of Beethoven's thought. After the Ninth was finished in 1824, the master closed the grandiose cycle of his Symphonies and Sonatas, and turned to himself. His music would become more profound and conceptual.
Most notably, the penultimate in the series of sixteen, Quartet No. 14, from 1826, astonished his contemporaries, at least his musician contemporaries. "What remains for us to write after this?" noted Schubert. A few years later, Wagner would not lag behind and write about the quartet a thoughtful article, pondering its greatness. And Beethoven himself, of course, held it in high esteem, even though it was created at the request of a Russian prince, along with two other quartets that today bear Nos. 12 and 13.
The genesis
In November 1822, Prince Nikolas Galitzin asked Beethoven to compose "one, two, or three quartets" for his personal enjoyment. True, the master had not written a quartet in fourteen years at that point, so some academics credit the prince with inspiring Beethoven to pick up the form once more. However, it so happens that the master had contacted Leipzig publisher Peters months prior to Galitzin's request, informing him that he had a half-finished quartet.
50 ducats for each quartet
Beethoven thus received the prince's commission as if it were the perfect fit. In a letter from January 1823 in response to the prince, the maestro demonstrated genuine desire for the assignment and committed himself, optimistically, for "the end of February or, at the latest, the middle of March." He also stated his fee, fifty ducats for each quartet. In fact, it took him a little bit longer. And, from that point on until his passing, Beethoven won't produce another work of that stature. It has been noted that No. 14 in particular is the most ambitious piece he has ever tried.
String Quartet No 14 Op 131 in C♯ minor
The work was completed in May 1826, just under a year before the composer's death. It was published in 1827 but was not performed in public until 1835 although it is possible that the master heard it, privately, before his death.
Large dimensions work, it is unusually structured in seven sections, which are played without interruption. However, scholars consider it to be the usual four movements to which two brief interludes plus a fugal introduction have been added.
Movements:
00:00 Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
06:40 Allegro molto vivace
09:39 Allegro moderato (first interlude)
10:27 Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile (the longest movement, in the form of a theme and variations)
23:13 Presto
28:37 Adagio quasi un poco andante (second interlude)
30:00 Allegro
The performance is by the American String Quartet.
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