1. Maestoso - Allegro
Most Honored Milord! Vienna, Feb. 1825
Your Eminence may perform the Quartet on Sunday, two weeks from today. I was unable to give it to you sooner because I have had a great deal of work to attend to, and only one copyist to cope with it; and also my far from flourishing circumstances, which make it necessary to look after only the most pressing things, are to blame. But the Quartet will not be published for some time, and so Your Eminence can have sole rights to it "in loco".
Your Eminence has not sent me news about the concerts, so we shall hear nothing about them at all. Farewell.
As soon as I have perfected my machine, by which you can be hoisted up to the fourth floor in comfort, I shall let you know.
Yours,
Beethoven
The Quartet Beethoven writes of is the Op. 127. It was one of three, the first of the late quartets commissioned by Prince Galitzen. The "Most Honored Milord" to whom the letter is addressed is Ignaz Schuppanzigh (1776-1830) first violinist of the Schuppanzigh Quartet; whom, because he was enormously fat was called by Beethoven "Milord Falstaff" Thus, the remark about the "machine" to hoist him up to Beethovens fourth floor apartment.
It might not be surprising to learn that having had only two weeks to rehearse this new work, the premiere performance on March 6, 1825 was not a success. Beethoven, who was not present at the concert, was furious and laid the blame on Milord Falstaff. Beethoven wrote to his nephew Karl, "The Quartet was a failure the first time that Schuppanzigh played it, for he, being so very stout, needs more time than formerly before he can master anything...many other circumstances contributed to its not succeeding. I predicted this, for although Schuppanzigh and two others draw their pension from princes, his Quartet is no longer what it was when they were all constantly playing together."
Schuppanzigh wanted an opportunity to play the work again, but Beethoven instead gave the work over to Joseph Bohm who had been leader of the Quartet Concerts in Vienna (& the teacher of Joseph Joachim). Bohm recounts that, "Beethoven could have no peace until the disgrace was wiped off. He sent for me the first thing in the morning - in his usual curt way, he said to me, You must play my quartet - and the thing was settled. Neither objections nor doubts could prevail, what Beethoven wanted had to take place, so, I undertook the difficult task."
Bohm said,. "It was studied industriously and rehearsed frequently under Beethovens own eyes: I said "eyes" intentionally for the unhappy man was so deaf that he could no longer hear the heavenly sound of his compositions. And, yet, rehearsing in his presence was not easy. With close attention, his eyes followed the bows and therefore he was able to judge the smallest fluctuations in tempo or rhythm and correct them immediately."
The Quartets performed under Bohms leadership was a great success and led to no less than nine performances of the work over the next few weeks. Beethoven was delighted. And it should be noted that, although Beethoven and Ignaz Schuppanzigh had a slight falling out over the premiere of op 127, it was the Schuppanzigh quartet that premiered all of the rest of the late Quartets op. 130, 131, 132 and 135.
The Quartet's first movement is unusually brief and concise. It consists, in the main, of a short introduction of heavily accented chords (Maestoso) followed by a lovely melody, marked Teneramente or tenderly. The Maestoso then Teneramente section is repeated three times, though appearing in different keys, along with a second theme for contrast.
The second movement is the heart of the work. It is more than twice as long as any of the other movements and consists of a theme with five free variations. Of this movement, Robert Schumann said, "One seems to have lingered not fifteen short minutes but an eternity." It is somewhat reminiscent of the lovely third movement of the Ninth Symphony (op 125).
The Scherzando vivace is one of Beethovens movements based on a tiny rhythmic cell that seems to be self-propelled through musical space-time. The last movement is marked Finale with the tempo left to the discretion of the players. It has a Haydnesque quality to it, except for the unusual coda in which Beethoven changes key, meter and tempo!
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