Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Although Beethoven regarded the Opus 131 Quartet in C-sharp minor as his greatest, it was not publicly premiered until 1835, seven years after the composer's death. In 1828, the dying Franz Schubert requested a private performance of the quartet, after which he is said to have exclaimed, “After this, what is left for us to write?”.

Opus 131 is a massive work of seven movements, though some are only a few measures long. Beethoven numbered the movements meticulously, while indicating that the entire work be performed without pause or interruption. This performance by the Amadeus Quartet is one that you’ll want to hear repeatedly. https://youtu.be/BgluM9ZROL0