Beethoven’s groundbreaking quartet Opus 130 stretched the boundaries of what was possible in music in 1825. He was, in fact, such a maverick that the original finale (the “Great Fugue”) sparked massive controversy at its premiere for being so thunderous and electric. Beethoven agreed to write an alternate ending that was more congenial in character yet no less sophisticated for the work’s publication, which became the very last piece he ever wrote in his life. In celebrating the many sides of this multifaceted maestro, we wish to play the work with the original ending and then provide the alternate as a delightful and thought-provoking encore.
Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130 with Große Fuge, Op. 133 (1825-26) and alternate Finale