Its only 59 days until the first day of spring! Beethovens three Razumovsky Quartets, op. 59, are some of my favorite string quartets ever. Commissioned by Count Andreas Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna, and published in 1806, they are hallmarks of Beethovens mature, middle-period style. In fact, they have a bristling vigor and hard-charging force that one also finds in other works from Beethovens middle period (e.g., the Eroica Symphony, the Waldstein Sonata, and the Violin Concerto). If musical history had a fossil record, Beethovens middle period would be a missing link between the classical era and the romantic era. This is as true for these string quartets as for his other, contemporary works. The Razumovsky Quartets were such a departure from the usual fare that, at first, audiences did not know what to make of them. The quartets seemed like wild things, totally unlike the elegant quartets of Mozart and Haydn (and even young Beethoven himself). They were long -- twice as long as a typical quartet of the day -- and fiendishly difficult, for both contemporary listener and performer. The inclusion of Russian themes throughout further baffled the audiences of Vienna. Beethoven, however, cared not a whit. When an Italian violinist complained that he couldnt understand them, Beethoven is said to have replied: oh, they are not for you, but for a later age. For your listening pleasure, heres a good recording of my favorite: Beethovens String Quartet no. 7 Razumovsky, op. 59, no. 1.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 23:49:03 +0000
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