Clarinet quartet or choir
SKU: P2.30104
Composed by Ludwig van
Beethoven. Arranged by
Joshua Mietz. Chamber
music. Published by
Potenza Music (P2.30104).
Dedicated to
Prince Franz Joseph von
Lobkowitz, String Quartet
No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18,
No. 1 was finished on
June 25, 1799 with some
revisions thereafter.
Beethoven initially felt
it to be a work in
progress and commented
that he had not yet
learned to write quartets
properly. Despite his
perfectionism, only minor
changes were made after
the premier performance.
Compositionally, this
work is best aligned with
the string quartets of
Mozart and Haydn - two of
Beethoven's largest
influences; however, a
seasoned listener can
feel his strain against
the established norms of
the classical period. The
opening motive of the
first movement is a
six-note turn that was
originally heard over 130
times throughout the
movement. The composer
later scaled this number
down to 109 in subsequent
revisions. It follows
closely to a sonata
allegro form and, with
the exception of his
typical dramatic dynamic
changes, follows the
patterns established by
his predecessors.
