September 1826: Beethoven completes his string quartets, his final work

String Quartets (16) Ludwig van Beethoven (composer)

Composed: 1798-1826 Completed: September 1826 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: classical > chamber

String Quartets: The Early Quartets: String Quartet No. 1 String Quartet No. 2 String Quartet No. 3 String Quartet No. 4 String Quartet No. 5 String Quartet No. 6 The Middle Quartets: String Quartet No. 7 String Quartet No. 8 String Quartet No. 9 String Quartet No. 10 String Quartet No. 11 The Late Quartets: (1825-26) String Quartet No. 12 String Quartet No. 13 String Quartet No. 14 String Quartet No. 15 String Quartet No. 16 Average Duration: The complete cycle lasts over 8 hours and 30 minutes.

Rating: 4.625 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more). * Quartets 13-15 are in the DMDB Hall of Fame. 7-10 and 12-16 are acknowledged as top 25 chamber music works.

The Early Quartets: Beethoven’s first six string quartets, known as Opus 18, were composed between 1798 and 1800 and published in 1801. They were commissioned by Prince Joseph Franz Maximilian Lobkowitz, a Bohemian aristocrat “who was the employer of Beethoven's friend, the violinist Karl Amenda. They are thought to demonstrate his total mastery of the classical string quartet as developed by Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.” WK-E The Middle Quartets: The seventh through eleventh quartets, written in 1806, were commissioned by Count Andreas Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador in Vienna. They are referred to as the “Middle Period,” “Middle Quartets,” or “Opus 59: Razumovsky.” They were published in 1808 in Vienna. WK-M The Late Quartets: The final six quartets, or the Late String Quartets, were “Beethoven’s last major completed compositions. Although dismissed by musicians and audiences of Beethoven’s day, they are now widely considered to be among the greatest musical compositions of all time…and they have inspired many later composers.” WK-L Quartets 12-15 were commissioned by Prince Nikolai Galitzine. He was in failing health while writing them, being bedridden in April 1825 for about a month. His recovery is credited with the “deeply felt slow movement of the Fifteenth Quartet, which Beethoven called ‘Holy song of thanks (‘Heiliger Dankgesang’) to the divinity, from one made well.’” WK-L The Budapest String Quartet Recordings: The Budapest String Quartet recordings from 1940 to 1952 of the complete cycle have “acquired legendary status” AZ having been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2003. The New York Times wrote that they set “the modern standard of performance in the Beethoven quartets.” AZ About Each of the Quartets: Here are details about each individual quartet.

String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1798-1800 Published: 1801 Length: roughly 22-30 minutes About the Work: This was actually the second string quartet composed by Beethoven. String Quartet No. 3 was the first. This is one of six quartets comprising Beethoven’s Early String Quartets period. It consists of four movements: I. Allegro con brio (F major) II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato (D minor) III. Scherzo: Allegro molto (F major) – Trio (B♭ major) IV: Allegro (F major) The second movement was inspired by the crypt scene in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. WK-1 The original quartet sent to Amenda was heavily revised. As of July 2014, the original version has probably been recorded less than a half-dozen times. WK-1

String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1798-1800 Published: 1801 Length: roughly 22-30 minutes About the Work: This was actually the third string quartet composed by Beethoven, after No. 1 and No. 3. This is one of six quartets comprising Beethoven’s Early String Quartets period. It consists of four movements: I. Allegro (G major) II. Adagio cantabile – Allegro – Tempo I (C major) III. Scherzo: Allegro (G major) – Trio (C major) IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto (G major) Of Beethoven’s first six string quartets, this one is the most grounded in 18th century musical tradition. WK-2

String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1798-1800 Published: 1801 Length: roughly 22-30 minutes About the Work: This was actually the first string quartet Beethoven composed. This is one of six quartets comprising Beethoven’s Early String Quartets period. This one consists of four movements: I. Allegro (D major) II. Andante con moto (B♭ major) III. Scherzo Allegro (D major) – Trio (D minor) IV. Presto (D major)

String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1798-1800 Published: 1801 Length: roughly 22-30 minutes About the Work: “The fourth quartet is unique in the set in that there is no evidence that sketches or drafts of this quartet can be found.” WK-4 This is one of six quartets comprising Beethoven’s Early String Quartets period. This quartet has four movements: I. Allegro ma non tanto (C minor) II. Andante scherzo quasi allegretto (C major) III. Menuetto: Allegretto (C minor) – Trio (E♭ major) IV. Allegro – Prestissimo (C minor)

String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1798-1800 Published: 1801 Length: roughly 22-30 minutes About the Work: “Beethoven modeled this quartet directly on Mozart’s quartet in the same key, K. 464.” WK-5 This is one of six quartets comprising Beethoven’s Early String Quartets period. This quartet consists of four movements: I. Allegro (A major) II. Menuetto – Trio (A major) III. Andante cantabile (Theme with variations, D major) IV. Allegro assai (A major)

String Quartet No. 6 in B♭ major, Op. 18 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1798-1800 Published: 1801 Length: roughly 22-30 minutes About the Work: This is one of six quartets comprising Beethoven’s Early String Quartets period. This quartet is in four movements: I. Allego con brio II. Adagio ma non troppo (• E♭ major) III. Scherzo: Allegro - Trio IV. La Malinconia: Adagio – Allegretto quasi Allegro - adagio - Allegretto - Un poco adagio – Prestissimo

String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: ? Published: 1808 Length: generally 40-50 minutes About the Work: This was the first of Beethoven’s cycle of string quartets that was commissioned by Andrey Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna at the time. These quartets differed from the six earlier quartets in that they were longer and required “a greatly expanded technical repertoire.” WK-7 This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Middle String Quartets period. This quartet consisted of four movements: I. Allegro (F major) II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando (B♭ major) III. Adagio molto e mesto - attacca (F minor) IV. “Thème Russe”: Allegro (F major)

String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: ? Published: 1808 Length: generally 40-50 minutes About the Work: This is the second of three quartets commissioned by Andrey Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna at the time. This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Middle String Quartets period. This quartet is in four movements: I. Allegro, 6/8 E minor II. Molto adagio (Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento), , E major III. Allegretto (with the second section marked "Maggiore – Thème russe"), 3/4, E minor – E major – E minor IV. Finale. Presto, , C major – E minor

String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: ? Published: 1808 Length: generally 40-50 minutes About the Work: This is the third of three quartets commissioned by Andrey Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna at the time. This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Middle String Quartets period. This quartet consists of four movements: I. Andante con moto – Allegro vivace (C major) II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto (A minor) III. Menuetto (Grazioso) (C major) IV. Allegro molto (C major)

String Quartet No. 10 in E♭ major, Op. 74 (Harp) Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1809 Published: ? Length: approximately 30-35 minutes About the Work: This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Middle String Quartets period. “The nickname ‘Harp’ refers to the characteristic pizzicato sections in the allegro of the first movement, where pairs of members of the quartet alternate notes in an arpeggio, reminiscent of the plucking of a harp. Like many nicknames for Beethoven's works, this was created by the publisher.” WK-10 This quartet has four movements: I. Poco adagio – Allegro II. Adagio ma non troppo III. Presto - Più presto quasi Prestissimo IV. Allegretto con variazioni

String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 (Serioso) Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1810 Published: ? Length: approximately 20-25 minutes About the Work: This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Middle String Quartets period. This “is commonly referred to as the ‘Serioso,’ stemming from his title ‘Quartett[o] Serioso’ at the beginning and the tempo designation for the third movement.” WK-11 This quartet is in four movements: I. Allegro con brio, , F minor II. Allegretto ma non troppo, 2/4, D major – attacca subito: III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso – Più allegro - Trio, 3/4, F minor – D major – F minor – D major – C minor – F minor IV. Larghetto espressivo, 2/4 – Allegretto agitato, 6/8 – Allegro, , F minor – F major

String Quartet No. 12 in E♭ major, Op. 127 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1825 Published: 1827 Length: approximately 36-38 minutes About the Work: This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Late String Quartets period. It was commissioned by Nicolas Galitzin, a wealthy Russian prince who was a cellist and fan of Beethoven’s music. This quartet is in four movements: I. Maestoso (2/4) – Allegro (3/4) in E♭ major II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile (12/8) – Andante con moto ( ) – Adagio molto espressivo ( ) – Tempo I (12/8) in A♭ major III. Scherzando vivace (3/4) in E♭ major - Trio in E♭ minor IV. Allegro ( ) in E♭ major

String Quartet No. 13 in B♭ major, Op. 130 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1825 Published: 1827 Length: 42-50 minutes About the Work: This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Late String Quartets period. It was commissioned by Nicolas Galitzin, a wealthy Russian prince who was a cellist and fan of Beethoven’s music. While this was Beethoven’s 13th published quartet, it was actually the 14th composed. This quartet is in six movements: I. Adagio, ma non troppo – Allegro (B♭ major) II. Presto (B♭ minor) III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo. Un Poco scherzoso (D♭ major) IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai (G major) V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo (E♭ major) VI. Große Fuge (Grande Fugue op.133): Ouverture. Allegro – Meno mosso e moderato – Allegretto – Fuga. [Allegro] – Meno Mosso e moderato – Allegro molto e con brio – Allegro (B♭ major)

String Quartet No. 14 in C♯ minor, Op. 131 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1826 Published: ? Length: approximately 40-45 minutes About the Work: This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Late String Quartets period. It was Beethoven’s favorite of this period. He died before it was published or performed. It is dedicated to Baron Joseph von Stutterheim as “a gesture of gratitude for taking Beethoven's nephew Karl into the army after a suicide attempt.” WK-14 It is comprised of seven movements: I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo II. Allegro molto vivace III. Allegro moderato – Adagio IV. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile – Più mosso – Andante moderato e lusinghiero – Adagio – Allegretto – Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice – Allegretto V. Presto VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante VII. Allegro

String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: 1825 Published: ? Premeired: November 6, 1825 Length: approximately 45 minutes About the Work: This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Late String Quartets period. It was commissioned by Nicolas Galitzin, a wealthy Russian prince who was a cellist and fan of Beethoven’s music. It was actually the 13th quartet written but was the 15th published. The quartet consists of five movements: I. Assai sostenuto – Allegro (A minor) II. Allegro ma non tanto (A major) III. “Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart”. Molto adagio – Andante (F major) IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace (attacca) (A major) V. Allegro appassionato (A minor – A major)

String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed: October 1826 Published: ? Premiered: March 23, 1828 Length: approximately 22-25 minutes About the Work: This is one of five quartets comprising Beethoven’s Late String Quartets period. This one was dedicated to Johann Nepomuk Wolfmayer, a patron and admirer of Beethoven. This was the last major work completed by Beethoven before his death in 1827. WK-16 This quartet consists of four movements: I. Allegretto (F major) II. Vivace (F major) III. Lento assai, cantabile e tranquillo (D♭ major) IV. Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß. Grave, ma non troppo tratto (Muss es sein?, F minor) – Allegro (Es muss sein!, F major)

References: AZ Amazon WK-E Wikipedia (String Quartets 1-6) WK-M Wikipedia (String Quartets 7-9) WK-L Wikipedia (Late String Quartets) WK-1 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 1 WK-2 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 2 WK-3 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 3 WK-4 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 4 WK-5 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 5 WK-6 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 6 WK-7 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 7 WK-8 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 8 WK-9 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 9 WK-10 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 10 WK-11 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 11 WK-12 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 12 WK-13 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 13 WK-14 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 14 WK-15 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 15 WK-16 Wikipedia page for String Quartet No. 16 Related DMDB Links: Last updated 2/22/2026.