String Quartet No. 15 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op 132 was built in 1823.
- 5.1 documents
- 5.2 Further Reading
Formation
It is one of the three from the Russian princes Nikolai Borisovich Golitsyn -commissioned string quartets and was named after the Quartet No. 12, Op 127 ( completed in January 1825) and before Quartet No. 13, Op 130 ( in January 1826 completed ) in July 1825 completed. All three quartets are dedicated to the customer.
During the preparation of transcripts that were determined on the one hand for Prince Golitsyn and on the other hand for the premiere in Vienna by Beethoven related Schuppanzigh Quartet, led to delays.
So should Wenzel Rampl, the cellist of the Quartet Schuppanzigh copy destined for the premiere copy itself from the Rampl should then create an instance for the Russian princes. But that job cost the cellist unaccustomed effort, because he was not familiar with Beethoven's hard to read musical notation, so that Beethoven's personal friend Karl Holz, who played second violin in Schuppanzigh Quartet, fallow to finish the job. Like Beethoven, Karl Holz confirmed by letter on August 15, 1825 contained the manufactured copies of it only a few errors.
Further delays were caused by Beethoven tantrums that led to the refusal of Wenceslas Rampl to continue the copy job. Another reason why Prince Golyzin received the quartet late, were delays by the post between Vienna and St. Petersburg.
Set names
About the Music
The Quartet is one of Beethoven's " late quartets ", however, is based in spite of his avant-garde for its time and emotional sound on a 5 -movement Divertimento, in which a central, quiet part of dance movements flanked.
The three composed for Prince Golitsyn quartets have a parallel to the " Razumovsky Quartets " on. In both cases, is the central quartet in a minor key, while the other two are in the major.
The key of A minor, Op 132 was used in rarely used by composers such as Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and even Beethoven himself. Before Beethoven had this key only in his Violin Sonata No. 4, Op 23 (1800), in his " Kreutzer Sonata" ( 1802/ 03 ) and "Für Elise" (1810 ) is used; the " Kreutzer Sonata" has in the sentence plan on even some parallels to the A minor Quartet.
An originally intended for this quartet " Alla - danza - tedesca " set in A Major Beethoven transposed to G major and appointed him the fourth movement of his String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op 130.
First Set
The first set of contrasting tered directly to the previously accumulated E flat major Quartet, by one hand, it consists of discontinuity and contrasts and the other with the implementation of the sonata form even more advanced bypasses as the E-flat major quartet.
The sentence, as the first sentences of the String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op 130 (and thus the "Great Fugue" ) and the String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op 131, the Viertongruppe gis afe basis. Unlike in C sharp minor quartet, the two seconds of Viertongruppe with their sixth are connected by a small second hand. Emil Platen thinks about using the Viertongruppe: " However, this to want to infer that it was a sense of context, the three quartets, one unit of a higher order, a ' gigantic cycle ' who then also actually should be listed in an unbroken sequence, I think is wrong. ". Lewis Lockwood pointed out that this is the note sequence " BACH " related topic of the Fugue No. 4 in C sharp minor is similar to the first volume of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Well -Tempered Clavier ". It is worth mentioning in this context that Beethoven had long sketches for a long-planned "Bach " Overture recorded earlier ( the " BACH " motif as a basis ), but which did not materialize.
The movement begins with a slow introduction. During the first few bars are supported by the cello takes over shortly afterwards Allegro especially the 2nd violin virtuoso on and abschreitenden semiquavers the lead. This contrast is enhanced by alternating smooth and quick passages throughout the movement continues until the 2nd violin eventually agrees under Staccatoschlägen the other three strings in the final chord of A minor.
Second sentence
Early on, among the performers the view had been established, the second set was a " Scherzo ". This error is due to a review after the first public performance.
The second movement is in stark contrast to the A minor of the first movement, in its variant key of A major. The resulting induced mood change is reinforced by the changed interaction between the strings. Emerging unison played three characters follow changing embellishments by all four instruments. No longer the "fight " between the instruments, but the interaction is in the foreground. As a trio, the highly prominent first violin is accompanied by dance-like motifs, to the returning input motif decides the sentence.
Third set
The third set was provided by Beethoven with the words " Holy song of thanksgiving of a convalescent to the deity, in the Lydian key ", which it refers indirectly that he himself suffered at the time of composition from a serious illness and his work in 1825 even for several weeks had to interrupt. After Auskurierung his illness Beethoven composed for his doctor, Professor Braunhofer, a canon, "Doctor locks the gate to the Todt, note also helps out of necessity " ( WoO 189). The gratitude for his recovery, which had expressed in the Beethoven canon jokingly, now took a serious way input into the A minor Quartet.
The rate -determining the chorale-like sequences (whose impression is reinforced by the use of the Lydian church mode ), are repeatedly interrupted by energetic passages which Beethoven himself has provided " Feeling new strength " with the comment. Finally, the opening theme is again, but this time, as noted by Beethoven presented " with heartfelt emotion ," and the music sounds from pianissimo.
The decision to use a somewhat unusual key in that sentence, lay da Palestrina founded in Beethoven's former interest in the works of the Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi, which was sponsored by Raphael Georg Kiesewetter historic house concerts in Vienna. A general renewed interest in the " Palaestrina style " had been established already by Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder (from 1797) and ETA Hoffmann ( 1814 ).
It has been suggested, Beethoven would have in the record a melody of Palestrina used; Sketches, these however as an invention of Beethoven. Already in 1818, Beethoven had a symphony as " pious song in a symphony in the old keys " planned but not implemented. Nephew Karl Beethoven could not just say "that many sites were accompanied with exclamations, and beym go away saying the people of the beauty of the new quartet. Schuppanzigh she wants deßwegen for 14 days to give back, " but also that " They admired how much you've done with the few notes which were vouchsafed you in the Lydian mode ".
Fourth proposition
The fourth movement, a value held in staccato march seems to give the work back a cheerful character, but stops after a short time in order to reconcile the fifth sentence (at the end plays second violin their first two notes of the fifth set already anticipated ).
Originally, the components of the sentence, " Alla Marcia " and " Piú Allegro", two independent sets, but Beethoven has both then pulled together into one set, probably to ask the third set in the center.
Fifth set
The fifth movement, held again in A minor, the emotional tension of the 3rd movement brings them back again. Cello, viola and the second violin combine to form a driving, repetitive accompanying motif through which the second violin a plaintive, almost chant -like melody plays ( An issue that had originally intended Beethoven for the last movement of his Symphony No. 9 ). Towards the end of the sentence increased the tempo ( Presto) and the action - motif of the second violin is inverted by transposition to A major to the contrary. This new theme, which now foreshadows a happy end of the string quartet, is a short time later, however, silent again, and finally seem to fade away almost. Beethoven leaves the listener here believe the set was over, and even adds a final twist. However, this is abruptly interrupted by the resumption of "A major theme " and appeared only after its implementation on again, this time to actually finish the sentence.
Effect
First, the quartet experienced on 9 and 11 September 1825 Beethoven presence of two sample performances at the inn " Zum Wilden Mann " for the publisher Maurice Schlesinger and some close friends, reported on the Charles Wood: "My Lord has today played better than ever. On, such as no one can play as recitative. He has what no one else can learn; but he has also learned nothing. "
The quartet was publicly premiered on November 6, 1825 by Schuppanzigh Quartet in Vienna. About this premiere nephew Karl told his uncle: " The quartet was very applauded, and it went very well together and left played better than ever."
The " General Musical Zeitung" wrote:
" What our musical Jean Paul has given here is again big, gorgeous, unusual, surprising and original, must not only often heard, but quite properly be studied. Apparently was by the previous trio, which charmed with his naive naturalness, with lovely coloring, the sweet melodies of savory spice, all those present, affects the lively susceptibility to the following. The prevailing gloomy character of the whole, one, bey of the most varied elaboration can not be eliminated uniformity in the very long adagio, which with its strange H in the F Scala the composer in the progression tactile shackles docked, freylich well as the unbearable heat in the low, urged full Saale, together with some circumstantial liked Being the cause, which reason this latest brainchild of the inexhaustible fertile master did not make that general sensation, which had several chosen one, the earlier performances attended in closed family circles, previously announced. "
Only after Beethoven's death, the quartet has been printed from the Schlesinger publishing house.
According to statistics from the cardiologists and Amateurquartettisten Ivan Mahaim the String Quartet Op 132 was performed in the first 50 years after its occurrence 274mal.