Beethoven

by Romain Rolland

3rd Quartet, Opus 18, No. 3, in D.

Allegro—Andante con moto—Allegro—Presto.

This beautiful quartet, composed a year later than the first two, already points to the maturity of the second period, especially in the first movement. The Andante opens with a lovely melody for the 2nd Violin on the G string; restraint and broadness in playing should be the player's aim here. Parry refers to the fine balance of form in this Quartet in his article in Groves' Dictionary. The Scherzo is here marked Maggiore—Minore—Maggiore. The Presto is full of Beethoven spirit and handling, in one passage in particular, having spaciousness, which is such a striking feature in the final quartets.