Late Beethoven: Opus 131

A journey full of contrasts, Beethoven’s Fourteenth String Quartet is the Mount Everest of his late quartets and one of his most profound and complex works. Each of the seven movements, which flow into one another without interruption, reveals a new layer of melancholy and hope, making this quartet not only an unparalleled listening experience but also a reflection on life. For Beethoven himself, it was his favorite piece.

A guide to life, this is how many musicians see Beethoven’s late string quartets. This music is so incomprehensibly good that, as a player, you can hardly get a grip on it. You keep trying, the road to performance is as important as the sounding result. Beethoven captures the essence of existence in these monumental works. At the peak of his powers, he produced wonders of the world.