Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Opus 132 was the second of the three quartets commissioned by Prince Galitzin (the others being Opus 127and 130). Beethoven began the composition in March of 1825 but then became seriously ill, necessitating weeks of bed rest and a complete change of diet. This is said to be the genesis of the centerpiece of this work, the Molto Adagio movement to which Beethoven gave the title “Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart " (Holy Song of Thanksgiving of a Convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode).

The Hollywood Quartet was a group of friends who worked for the major Hollywood studios and would get together in the evenings to play “real music”. Between 1949 and 1958 they gained international acclaim, winning a Grammy award for their recording of the Beethoven Late Quartets. Here is the Opus 132 quartet in A minor. https://youtu.be/qTxBQjMLOgA