This fine but difficult quartet, sometimes called the Cello Quartet on account of the prominence given to this instrument, was written in 1806. The Count himself is supposed to have played the cello, and the set of variations on the Russian song used for the Finale was a second compliment to Beethoven's noble Russian patron. Beethoven took his theme from the Prabst collection, 1815, which is not now published, having been superseded by Rimsky-Korsakoff's fine collection. The theme is found there (No. 13) marked Andante and the Russian words may be translated—
Ah, is this my fate?
And what a fate!
The technique and the subject matter is very much more advanced. The first movement contains a remarkable unison passage for the full strings, some remarkable high work for the 1st violin and some wonderful colour effects. The Allegretto is a busy, gossipy movement in B flat. The Adagio molto is a typical Beethoven Adagio. It is the real thing. It runs into the Finale through a long and difficult cadenza for the 1st Violin over a dominant pedal. The ending of the quartet contains some very full effects and is almost orchestral in style.
8th Quartet, Opus 59, No. 2, in E minor.
Allegro—Adagio—Allegretto—Finale.
The second quartet of the Rasumovsky set is even more elaborate than the first. The opening movement, though containing some dark, passionate moods akin to the Appassionata Sonata, is nevertheless happy and delicate in tone. Its technical requirements are great. The quartet opens with two strong chords, then a silent bar, which the composer fills in curiously enough in the recapitulation. The lovely long-drawn Adagio in E major is marked by Beethoven con molto di sentimento (with great feeling). Here again he is in his new territory. It is as though he said to the players, "Wake up! this is an entirely new kind of music." The playful Allegretto introduces another Slav folk-song, which can be found in Rimsky-Korsakoff's collection (No. 45). It is sacred and majestic in tone, a song of glory to the Creator. It forms the major trio portion, which is carefully welded on to the return of the opening minor movement. The Finale represents Beethoven's very happiest mood. It starts clean out of the key in C major. Seldom is Beethoven so happy as we find him here in the Finale, which although written in the sharp signature throughout, is really in the key of C major; the episodes only and the coda only just managing to restore the balance of E minor.
9th Quartet, Opus 59, No. 3, in C major.
Introduzione—Allegro vivace—Andante con moto—Menuetto—Allegro molto (Fuge).
This, the third of the Rasumovsky set, was composed in 1806. Starting clean out of the key, a few bars of Andante introduction gradually lean towards C major. The first movement is remarkably clear and lucid in style and finely coloured in harmony. Beethoven is in one of his happiest moods. The exquisite Andante in A minor opens with a pizzicato bass and ends in the same manner. It is a highly finished movement. The Minuet is of the stately dance order and appears in the tonic key C major. The coda to it ends on the dominant seventh, thus bringing in the remarkable spiccato Fugue which Brahms played from memory as an encore at a concert in Vienna in 1867. The Una Corda set of entries preserving the homogeneity of tone and adding greatly to the effect of the intensity of the crescendi is particularly fine.