In the year 1830, what appeared in print as Beethoven’s quartet Op. 131 is an unprecedentedly original and ambitious work: This composition is the zenith of Beethoven’s late quartets, which in themselves hold a privileged position at the core of the quartet repertoire,
Schubert first heard this music a few days before his death in 1828, and he said: ‘After this, what is left for us to write?’
Beethoven considered this quartet his favorite achievement in the medium, and this music is truly unique.
The C-sharp minor Quartet is unparalleled in its inexhaustibility, attracting ensembles at different stages of their careers to enter its orbit with the promise of fresh revelations.
Here is the Alban Berg Quartet to play this music for you:
