On New Year's Eve 1814, during preparation of a ball with the Tsar and Tsarina as special guests, a fire broke out in a newly-built extension of his palace, destroying the building and many works of art. The Prince subsequently left diplomatic service and lived the rest of his days as a recluse.

The third of the "Razumovsky Quartets" is sometimes called the "Eroica" because of its triumphant finale. It begins with a dark, mysterious introduction reminiscent of Mozart's "Dissonance Quartet", a work which Beethoven greatly admired. This performance is by the Jasper String Quartet: https://youtu.be/bq5c9rxkRpc