The String Quartet No. 14 in C♯ minor, Op. 131, was completed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1826. It is the last-composed of a trio of string quartets, written in the order op. 132, 130 (with the Große Fuge ending), 131.
It was Beethoven's favourite of the late quartets: he is quoted as remarking to a friend that he would find "a new manner of part-writing and, thank God, less lack of imagination than before". It is said that upon listening to a performance of this quartet, Schubert remarked, "After this, what is left for us to write?" Robert Schumann said that this quartet and Op. 127 had a "...grandeur [...] which no words can express. They seem to me to stand...on the extreme boundary of all that has hitherto been attained by human art and imagination."
This work is dedicated to Baron Joseph von Stutterheim as a gesture of gratitude for taking his nephew, Karl, into the army after a failed suicide attempt.
About 40 minutes in length, it consists of seven movements played without a break, as follows:
1. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo (121 bars, cut time, about 7 minutes) in C-sharp minor
2. Allegro molto vivace (198 bars, 6/8, about 3 minutes) in D major
3. Allegro moderato – Adagio (11 bars, common time, about 45 seconds) in B minor
4. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile – Più mosso – Andante moderato e lusinghiero – Adagio – Allegretto – Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice – Allegretto (286 bars counting the repeats, 2/4, about 14 minutes) in A major
5. Presto (545 bars counting the repeats, cut time, about 5 1⁄2 minutes) in E major
6. Adagio quasi un poco andante (28 bars, 3/4, about 2 minutes) in G-sharp minor
7. Allegro (388 bars, cut time, about 6 1⁄2 minutes) in C-sharp minor
The Op. 131 quartet has been described as a monumental feat of integration. While Beethoven composed the quartet in six distinct key areas, the work begins in C♯ minor and ends in C♯ major. The Finale directly quotes the opening fugue theme in the first movement in its second thematic area. This type of cyclical composition was avant-garde for a work of that period. Joseph Kerman wrote: "blatant functional reference to the theme of another movement: this never happens".
Op. 131 is often grouped with Opp. 132 and 130. There is motivic sharing among the three works. In particular, the "motto" fugue of the leading tone rising to the tonic before moving to the minor sixth and then dropping down to the dominant is an important figure shared by these works. This intervallic material is descendent from Bach, and has been used by other notable composers, including Haydn and Mozart.
This quartet is one of Beethoven's most elusive works musically. The topic has been written about extensively from very early after its creation, from Karl Holz, the second violinist of the Schuppanzigh Quartet, to Richard Wagner, to contemporary musicologists today. One popular topic is a possible religious/spiritual genesis for this work, supported by simi...
String Quartet No 14 in C sharp minor, Opus 131Credits | |
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Uploaded | Dec 26, 2017 |
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Updated | May 14, 2024 |
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Min. copies | 1 |
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Pages | 94 |
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Duration | 36:55 |
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Measures | 1526 |
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Key | E major, C♯ minor |
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Parts | 4 |
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Privacy | Everyone can see this score |
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License | |
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Category | Music notes for String Quartet |
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