String Quartet No. 2 (Beethoven)
Encyclopedia
The String Quartet No. 2 in G major, op.
18, No. 2, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven
between 1798 and 1800 and published in 1801.
It consists of four movements:
Of the opus 18 string quartets, this one is the most grounded in 18th century musical tradition. According to Steinberg:
The nickname may have originated from one of Haydn's last string quartets written about the same time (Op.77, No. 1 -1799) which was also known as the Komplimentier-Quartett. Haydn was Beethoven's teacher at the time, and one detects a similarity in style between the two quartets. They also both happen to be in the key of G major.
After he had finished the quartet Beethoven was not satisfied with the second movement and wrote a replacement. Sketches of the original slow movement survive and a complete version has been reconstructed by musicologist Barry Cooper. It was performed publicly, potentially for the first time, by the Quatuor Danel in the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall at the Martin Harris Centre, University of Manchester, on 30th September 2011.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
18, No. 2, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
between 1798 and 1800 and published in 1801.
It consists of four movements:
- Allegro
- Adagio cantabile – Allegro – Tempo I
- ScherzoScherzoA scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
: Allegro - Allegro molto, quasi presto
Of the opus 18 string quartets, this one is the most grounded in 18th century musical tradition. According to Steinberg:
- In German-speaking countries, the graceful curve of the first violin's opening phrase has earned the work the nickname of Komplimentier-Quartett, which might be translated as "quartet of bows and curtseys".
The nickname may have originated from one of Haydn's last string quartets written about the same time (Op.77, No. 1 -1799) which was also known as the Komplimentier-Quartett. Haydn was Beethoven's teacher at the time, and one detects a similarity in style between the two quartets. They also both happen to be in the key of G major.
After he had finished the quartet Beethoven was not satisfied with the second movement and wrote a replacement. Sketches of the original slow movement survive and a complete version has been reconstructed by musicologist Barry Cooper. It was performed publicly, potentially for the first time, by the Quatuor Danel in the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall at the Martin Harris Centre, University of Manchester, on 30th September 2011.