Beethoven waited to compose his first set of quartets, Op. 18, until he was nearly 30 because he knew they would be compared to the masterpieces of Haydn and Mozart.
Less than ten years later, by the time of his second set, Op. 59 in 1806, his quartets would only be compared to his own previous works. He had started writing longer, more challenging music with the Eroica Symphony, and the Op. 59 Quartets would be in a similar style.
The Op. 59 Quartets were commissioned by Prince Razumovsky, the fun-loving Russian ambassador to Vienna. Beethoven incorporated Russian melodies into the first two quartets to please the prince.
Here is the first of these quartets for your enjoyment.
