Schuppanzigh (1776-1830) was Beethoven’s violin teacher, friend and lifelong champion from the composer’s arrival in Vienna until his passing. He rehearsed and performed the string quartets and played at the premiere of every symphony Beethoven composed. In this article, you will read about the relationship between Schuppanzigh and Beethoven, how the composer would mercilessly tease his friend about his weight, …
What is a string quartet? A musical composition for sting instruments with the most common setup of two violins, viola and cello. It is often regarded as the most sophisticated form of chamber music. How many string quartets did Beethoven write? Ludwig van Beethoven wrote 16 string quartets. These quartets are grouped into three categories, based on the stage of …
These Quartets are the very last pieces Beethoven wrote on this Earth. They are exceptional and were very intimate to him. Introduction to Beethoven’s Late Quartets For the sake of easier understanding and accessibility, Beethoven’s string quartets are categorized into three groups, based on artistic periods in his life: early, middle and late quartets. The Late Quartets, sadly, also …
In this article we discover who was Galitzin, what is the story of the Quartets named after him and whether he was a good payer or not. Who was Nikolai Borisovich Galitzin? Nikolai Borisovich Galitzin (8 November 1794, Saint Petersburg, Tsardom of Russia – 22 October 1866, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire) was a Russian an aristocrat from the Galitzin-family. Just …
In this article we cover the origins, the reception and interpretations of this controversial music. The history of the Grosse Fuge The history of Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge Op. 133 (in English the Great Fugue or Grand Fugue; in German Große Fuge, pronunciation ɡʁoːsə fuu·ge) starts with an other string quartet, his 13th, the Op. 130. The composer finished this work …