Beethoven the Giant

Last night, I found the piece I want played at my funeral. I also have a new favorite string quartet.

Beethoven mastered string quartet writing. His first set of quartets, Op. 18, are said to just demonstrate that he could do anything that Mozart could do. He gets better and better through his middle quartets, and his late quartets are "widely considered to be among the greatest musical compositions of all time." [1] Steven says he set the bar too high for future generations of composers. But after the performance of the third movement of Op. 132 last night by the Chiara String Quartet, I thought he set the bar a little high for even himself. It was a spiritual experience. I thought, how do you even write another movement to follow that?

I will let the music speak for itself. However, I think the effect is much stronger live, and I encourage you to hear it live.

1. Assai sostenuto — Allegro
2. Allegro ma non tanto
3. Molto Adagio — Andante — Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart
4. Alla Marcia, assai vivace (attacca)
5. Allegro appassionato — Presto