The first string quartet of the three Opus 59 Quartets by Beethoven is the most expansive of the three. Running well over half an hour, it opens with an amiable and supple theme stated in turn by the cello and then the first violin, over a pulsing accompaniment from the middle voices. Thematic fragmentation begins almost immediately, with soloistic passages for each of the four players, and sudden shifts of color and mood leave the listener somewhat surprised.
Coming second is not the expected slow movement, but a sonata-form Allegretto vivace. Here the musical material is equal parts rhythm and melody, with the first statement, again from the cello, comprising the note B-flat repeated fifteen times. The intricate interplay of this rhythm and the enchanting melodic responses to it combine and confront one another in the course of the movement to produce a miraculous example of Beethoven at his most inventive.
The third movement of this Quartet is marked Adagio molto e mesto (Very slow and sad). The music expresses a private grief in closely harmonized ensemble writing. From time to time, the texture is embellished with decorative passagework that foreshadows the adagios of Beethoven’s late quartets.
A cadenza-like passage for the first violin leads directly into the fourth movement. Here Beethoven fulfills a request from Count Razumovsky, who asked that the composer employ a Russian theme in each of the Quartets. Drawn from a published collection of Russian folk songs, the theme is aptly suited for exploitation in Beethoven’s most advanced manner. He constructs a fleet and fanciful finale that proceeds vigorously and directly to the finish line.
Here is the string Quartet titled “Razumovsky #1” By Beethoven:
