Beethoven String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135 - Orion String Quartet (Live)

Beethoven String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135 performed by the Orion String Quartet (Live). Filmed live in The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in New York for WQXR's Beethoven String Quartet Marathon on November 18, 2012.

[@notaire2]

Wunderschöne Aufführung dieses perfekt komponierten Streichquartetts im lebhaften Tempo mit seidigen Töne aller Instrumente und perfekt kontrollierter Dynamik. Die intime und perfekt synchronisierte Zusammenwirkung zwischen den vier Virtuosen ist echt bewundernswert. Einfach erstklassig!

[@Rx-mn5fv]

What wonderful expressive playing! The third movement was magnificent. Bravo to such dedicated performers.

[@totalfreedom45]

From 1823 to his death in 1827 Beethoven is resigned to his fate--being rejected by all women but one and never having married and being stone-deaf. His days of rebellion against his fate, trying to grab it by its throat, are over. He sees "what is" with content and in this his last jewel of the last five string quartets--his favorite medium to express his ideas and feelings and the greatest music ever written--he answers the Hamlet question "Muss es sein?" (Must it be?"), the heading of the last movement of this quartet written in 1826, with a short answer: "Es muss sein!" It must be! The acceptance of reality. 😺

[@alex51151]

That would make a great ending to a biographic movie or book about Beethoven because it sounds so poetic, but unfortunately it is simply not true. If you only look at the motto of the piece and consider that it was written in his last years you might come to this wrong conclusion but if you actually listen to the music you can hear a quite different story. You don't have to be a music specialist to figure out this in Major and it sounds cheerful and radiant. That's why I researched a bit further and found out that actually it was initally a joke about an unpaid bill between Beethoven and his friends about which he wrote a humorous canon which later became the central theme of this piece. Of course, you can't be sure that this was indeed the reason for writing this work, but you can confirm for sure, just by listening, that there is no rebellion against fate or any sorrow at all in this string quarter. If at all, it sounds like he lived his last moments in peace.

[@yumeybaconcutout]

alex51151 did you even read his comment at all? the rebellion against fate is OVER by his late period, aka when this piece was written.

[@telephilia]

This work is most famous for the Muss Es Sein inscription over the last movement. But the middle movements demonstrate Beethoven's great ability to write both sardonic humor (the scherzo) and, in contrast, the most lyrical, deeply felt music (the slow mvmt.)

[@ultimateconstruction]

Beethoven = God.

[@gerardbegni2806]

Fine and living interpretation of this last Beethoven's quartet.

[@mjkimization]

0:09 Allegretto 6:55 Vivace 10:21 Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo 18:03 Grave ma non troppo tratto - Allegro ("Der schwer gefasste Entschluss")

[@composerlecturer]

The Lindsay Quartet would preface its performances of op. 135 by playing the "Muß es sein? Es muß sein" motto in unison. Then as the piece progressed it was revealed to the attentive listener that the motto was present throughout the entire quartet in various guises. This rendered the finale as an apotheosis of the three-note motive and its tonal inversion which comprise the motto. Of course, Beethoven's last composition was for string quartet, but was not this final one. It was the replacement movement for the Große Fuga. Nowadays that intellectual and spiritual masterwork has been restored to its rightful place. But this too often leaves the replacement movement unheard. I remember the Guarneri Quartet once played it as a stand alone encore, emphasizing its "last musical utterance" status. Geez, I can remember when the Orion Quartet began! What a fine ensemble! I remember hering them particularly in Santa Fe, NM, and in Tenafly, NJ.

[@janetkenny1974]

Superb!

[@joseluisdelgado6239]

Verdaderamente el último Beethoven en sus movimientos lentos ya sea sus sonatas para piano , cuartetos de cuerda y como no su última sinfonía parece que alcance esa serenidad y dimensión que 40 años atrás tenía las últimas obras mozartianas . Será el devenir de su final con la aceptación de la realidad , no sé

[@Hussain_Eidani]

❤

[@michaelschwartz2701]

Wonderful performance, great sound quality. But why do 3 of them have wedding rings on the right hand?

[@mcrettable]

I adore the end of this piece

[@Rokudammela]

Great version!

[@prof.jasonsaid2718]

out of this world pure revelation unequal since death life all became unimportant... our humane spiritual depth it is .

[@carlamontufar9517]

Increíble!!

[@Pbarinas]

No se si será la mala utilización de los micrófonos o, lo que yo creo, la mala sincronización de los componentes de este cuarteto. Es el perfecto ejemplo de cómo destrozar una pieza musical del inmenso Beethoven.

[@RobSinclaire]

Muss Es Sein: "It must be"

[@DonnaSnyder]

Amor fati

[@jackvanderheijden3117]

Lento assai... chiling !!!

[@Bohemianstrings2023]

Hittler??