In 1801, Beethoven published his first six string quartets. Collectively, the six Opus 18 Quartets were commissioned by one of Beethoven's greatest royal patrons, Prince Lobkowitz. The set of chamber music was well received in Vienna and gave Beethoven the confidence to attempt composing what would become his first symphony.
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JOSEPH FRANZ MAXIMILIAN VON LOBKOWITZ
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String Quartet 1 was actually the second of the six quartets composed. Beethoven chose to bookend the set with his two most radical and forward looking quartets. He therefore began the set with with the F Major quartet (numbered 1st) and end with the Bb Major quartet (numbered 6th).
The first movement of the quartet develops a short musical motif played in unison at the very beginning of the movement. The second movement is said to be inspired by the final scene in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In the third movement, Beethoven replaces the traditional minuet with a scherzo. The fourth movement is a fun sonata rondo. |
PALAIS LOBKOWITZ IN VIENNA
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String Quartet 2 was a successful attempt by Beethoven to compose a quartet in the style of Haydn. The upbeat mood and witty musical ideas throughout the four movements effectively channel the composition style of Beethoven's former teacher.
The "question and answer" statement in the first movement opening gives the quartet its nickname: "Complimentary".
String Quartet 3 was actually the first of the Opus 18 quartets to be composed. As such, it is also the most traditional in its adherence to the standard forms and styles of the Classical Period. Beethoven's use of sudden modulations to distant keys however, is very evident in the opening movement.
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BEETHOVEN SKETCH FROM 1800
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String Quartet 4 is often referred to as the "Orphan" quartet simply because there are no extant sketches of the work. Because of the presence of drafts for the other quartets in Opus 18, it is thought that String Quartet 4 is actually an earlier work that Beethoven modified to include in the set.
A highlight of the quartet is the Gypsy violin style of the 4th movement Rondo.
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BEETHOVEN AND MOZART AT THEIR ONE AND ONLY MEETING
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String Quartet 5 was Beethoven's successful attempt to compose in the style of Mozart, whose A Major Quartet (#18, K464), Beethoven admired greatly. Several similarities between the two quartets are apparent, including the placement of the minuet as the second movement rather than the more traditional third movement slot.
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DER KOHLMARKT IN VIENNA 1786
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String Quartet 6 was Beethoven's most radical quartet of the Opus 18 set, and foreshadows his evolution as a composer. The use of a slow introduction in the 4th movement is particularly unusual, as are the dissonant harmonies explored during that introduction.
The 3rd movement scherzo is written in such a way that finding a downbeat to each measure is extremely difficult while listening. Beethoven's decision to bookend the six quartets with his two most experimental offerings was no accident.
