Beethoven op. 131 string quartet # 14 (1/5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZAzTIbXYbs
Lindsay String Quartet

The String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, opus 131, by Ludwig van Beethoven was completed in 1826. (The number traditionally assigned to it is based on the order of its publication; it is actually his fifteenth quartet by order of composition.) About 40 minutes in length, it consists of seven movements to be played without a break, as follows: 1. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
2. Allegro molto vivace
3. Allegro moderato
4. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile — Più mosso — Andante moderato e lusinghiero — Adagio — Allegretto — Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice — Allegretto
5. Presto
6. Adagio quasi un poco andante
7. Allegro

This work, which is dedicated to Baron Joseph von Stutterheim, was Beethoven's favourite from the late quartets. He is quoted as remarking to a friend: "thank God there is less lack of imagination than ever before"[citation needed]. Together with the quartets op. 130 and 132, it goes beyond anything Beethoven had previously written. (Op. 131 is the conclusion of that trio of great works, written in the order 132, 130 with the Grosse Fugue ending, 131; they may be profitably listened to and studied in that sequence.) It is said that upon listening to a performance of this quartet, Schubert remarked, "After this, what is left for us to write?"

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[geoffwoade]

'After this, what is left to write?' - Schubert

says it all really.

[TheInvalid85]

"after this what are we to write?" indeed schubert...indeed

[AbuseDaForce]

@hammyhamlet411 he had profoundly better inner hearing than 99.9% of people hear with their ears

[geoffwoade]

@hammyhamlet411 most trained composers can visualize music in their head

[geoffwoade]

@kliu95 nice to see a fellow cellist on youtube!

[sprygeoffreya17]

I first heard this unbelievable piece a couple of weeks ago, I've been a huge but un-tutored fan of Beethovens 25 years, but simply hadn't heard this. It played on a radio program concerning His last quartets. But this !! Even for Beethoven, the greatest of them all, this is astonishing.

[kliu95]

@geoffwoade cello

[SilentObserver2009]

@cirosuperiore Pretty much everything Beethoven created was a masterpiece, he was just that good. And indeed, he died much too young. The human race is poorer for it.

[SilentObserver2009]

@hammyhamlet411 Actually, all music can be broken down mathematically. So, if one is skilled enough, you can compose beautiful pieces of music without actually hearing them yourself. . .and Beethoven was certainly skilled enough. It takes a rare kind of musical genius to compose masterpieces like this, with or without hearing ability.

[hammyhamlet411]

And to think he wrote it when he was deaf. Are we sure Beethoven wasn't an alien with ultrasonic hearing? That would explain why these quartets are so difficult to grasp.

[geoffwoade]

@kliu95 nice one. what instrument were you playing?