# Rank the Beethoven String Quartets



## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

If you dare, please try to rank the Beethoven String Quartets!

You can use whatever criteria you choose: whether it is just your favourites, or works you respect the most, or works which you more objectively think are the greatest. For me it is quite often a mix of all those criteria. For example, I respect and value the Op. 131 very highly, but I cannot emotionally attach to it as much as to some others, so the ranking is lower.

I admit to not having a clear picture of the early quartets yet as I have always been concentrating on the latter half of the quartets. But I will rank what I can for you! These works I know.

1. String Quartet no. 16 in F major, Op. 135
2. String Quartet no. 15 in A minor, Op. 132
3. String Quartet no. 7 in F Major, Op. 59
4. String Quartet no. 13 in Bb Major, Op. 130
5. String Quartet no. 11 in F minor, Op. 95
6. String Quartet no. 14 in C# Minor, Op. 131
7. String Quartet no. 12 in Eb Major, Op. 127
8. String Quartet no. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59
9. String Quartet no. 10 in Eb Major, Op.75
10. String Quartet no. 9 in C Major. Op. 59


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

1. Beethoven: String Quartet no. 7 in F major, op. 59 no. 1 (Razumovsky 1)

I don't care how you rank the rest but the first Razumovsky quartet reigns supreme!


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

haziz said:


> 1. Beethoven: String Quartet no. 7 in F major, op. 59 no. 1 (Razumovsky 1)
> 
> I don't care how you rank the rest but the first Razumovsky quartet reigns supreme!


I agree with you! What a magnificent quartet! Just thinking about it brings a smile on my face.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Op. 59 #2 and Op. 127 interest me somewhat less than the others listed. The rest I've no interest in ranking. I love them all and which I might want to hear at any given time isn't related to any perceived disparity in quality or interest.


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## bagpipers (Jun 29, 2013)

1. No 15 A minor
2. No 16 F major 
3. No 14 C# minor 
4. No 13 Bf major/Grosse Fuga
5.No 11 F minor (seriouso)
6. Opus 59. The Rasumovsky's 
7. The opus 18's (The early quartets)


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Am I the only one who's happy to use the numbers for the symphonies, piano sonatas, concertos, but for some inane reason only uses the Opus numbers with the quartets??!

It's a tie for me, Opp.130, 131, 132 at the top. 59/1, 74, 18/1 are for me the best of the earlier quartets.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

tier 1 op.131, 132, 130+133
tier 2 op.127, 135, 95, 59/1
tier 3 op. 59/2+3, 74, 18/1
tier 4 op.18/2/3/5/6
bottom op.18/4


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

As I said on a similar post some time ago I find it really difficult to rank them but at the moment it would be something like this:

Top: 11, 15, 16
Next: 6, 7, 9
Then: 4, 5, 10, 12, 13
Following: 2, 3, 8, 14
Finally: 1

Before anyone starts shouting "sacrilege!" remember this is just my current preference however I will go against the grain and say that the 1st and 14th quartets will always be nearer the bottom for me as I just prefer most of the others.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Your sacrilegious bad taste fits well with the sacrilegious bad habit of not using opus numbers


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Kreisler jr said:


> Your sacrilegious bad taste fits well with the sacrilegious bad habit of not using opus numbers


I couldnt be bothered, Kreisler. I always seem to miss out op.127 or one of the op.130+ quartets when I do them by opus number. 1-16 works well for me because it makes it easier when I have to retag them for the car USB (eg. Track 01 SQ11 M1, etc). I'm just lazy, I guess. 😴


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

So far it would seem that the Op. 132 has scored the highest! It is no wonder as it is technically as great as the Op. 131, yet it also makes a strong emotional impact on many listeners.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Merl said:


> I couldnt be bothered, Kreisler. I always seem to miss out op.127 or one of the op.130+ quartets when I do them by opus number. 1-16 works well for me because it makes it easier when I have to retag them for the car USB (eg. Track 01 SQ11 M1, etc). I'm just lazy, I guess. 😴


So am I.  You may not believe it but sometimes have to think for a second or two to know which piece it is if I only get the cardinal numbers, whereas I don't have to think with opus numbers.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Kreisler jr said:


> So am I.  You may not believe it but sometimes have to think for a second or two to know which piece it is if I only get the cardinal numbers, whereas I don't have to think with opus numbers.


I prefer opus numbers (supplemented by keys) because if one uses them for multiple genres like, for example, quartets and sonatas, one gets chronological information about where a work fits into the composer's output as a whole.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Yes, I am also simply annoyed at the wrong numbering of the late Beethoven and therefore always have to think a little that "15" is (actually) 13, i.e. the a minor, "13", the Bb major, is 14 and "14" is 15, the c# minor.... therefore I never liked the cardinal numbers here.
But mostly it's probably habit. I usually know opus numbers for Beethoven, but far less for Brahms, I know lots of K numbers, but few D and fewer BWV numbers etc.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Tbh, I usually refer to the Beethoven quartets by their opus numbers or preferably their name but it depends who I'm talking to and the way they refer to them too. I tend to refer to the first 6 in cardinal form as it's easier (everyone knows that they are the op.18s and it's easier referring to the 5th, etc than using opus 18/5). The only time I tend to use cardinal numbers is (as I said) when I'm being very lazy or tagging a new set to listen to for the car. Its a few numbers or letters less and I don't have to replace the oblique in the op.18 and op.59s. When I started my original (now deleted) blogs the guy who had the site only knew the quartets in the cardinal number form so asked me to number them that way on his site (I also used the opus number in the post). Because I did so many comparative reviews I got to know them quickly that way. If I meet up with Malx, for example, and were gassing about them I'll usually refer to the op.18s as "the earlies", the op.59s as Raz1, Raz2 and Raz3, then Harp, Serioso. I'll refer to the late quartets by opus number/cardinal combo except the final one "last quartet". 😄


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

In terms of "what I like", op. 18, 5+6, op. 77, op. 95 and opp. 127/131 are sweeping my board.

In terms of sheer quality, I would see op. 131/132/133 in front.

In terms of consequences for future compositions ("innovation") I regard op. 59 in the same role as the Eroica for symphonies.

I am not sure how to make a sequence out of these three perspectives ...


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## devilsfiddler (3 mo ago)

Waehnen said:


> If you dare, please try to rank the Beethoven String Quartets!
> 
> You can use whatever criteria you choose: whether it is just your favourites, or works you respect the most, or works which you more objectively think are the greatest. For me it is quite often a mix of all those criteria. For example, I respect and value the Op. 131 very highly, but I cannot emotionally attach to it as much as to some others, so the ranking is lower.
> 
> ...


The only way to know is to hear them all live But I have to say, Grosse Fuga, Serioso and op. 131 are my top three!


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

no. 14, Op. 131
no. 13, Op. 130 
no. 16, Op. 135
no. 15, Op. 132 
no. 11, Op. 95
no. 7, Op. 59/1
no. 12, Op. 127
no. 4, Op. 18/4
no. 6, Op. 18/6
no. 10, Op. 74
no. 9, Op. 59/3
no. 8, Op. 59/2
no. 5, Op. 18/5 
no. 2, Op. 18/2
no. 3, Op. 18/3 
no. 1, Op. 18/1


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

All I know is #13 with Grosse Fuge as sixth movement finale is No. 1.


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

1) Op. 132
2) Op. 131

3) Op. 135
4) Op. 127
5) Op. 59, #1
6) Op. 59, #2
7) Op. 59, #3
8) Op 130 + Grosse Fuge
9) Op. 74 ("Harp")
10) Op. 18, #6
11) Op. 18, #4
12) Op. 95 ("Serioso")
13) Op. 18, #3
14) Op. 18, #5
15) Op. 18, #1 (Op 18, #1 could leapfrog Op.18, #5, depending on the day)
16) Op. 18, #2


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

Opus 127: String Quartet No. 12 in E♭ major
Opus 130: String Quartet No. 13 in B♭ major
Opus 131: String Quartet No. 14 in C♯ minor
Opus 132: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor
Opus 133: Große Fuge in B♭ major (originally the finale to Op. 130)
Opus 135: String Quartet No. 16 in F major

Theses six opus numbers rank as the peak of chamber music. I put the earlier Beethoven quartets a tier below them.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

6/6: No. 14

5/6: No. 13+GF, No. 15, No. 16, No. 10 'Harp'

4/6: The rest


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## devilsfiddler (3 mo ago)

maestro267 said:


> All I know is #13 with Grosse Fuge as sixth movement finale is No. 1.


Yes, but the Grosse Fuge is often played as a stand alone piece. Have to find out how the Miro Quartet does it live, if you come to hear them this November.


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## juliante (Jun 7, 2013)

I revisited the late quartets again recently. I remain unconvinced by the legendary status of them, in terms of listening pleasure. But for the sublime moments they do still rank highly for me: 

Top: 7, 9
Next: 13,15 
Then: 14, 10, 4, 16, 11
And finally, but all worth listening to occasionally: 2, 3, 8, 1, 6, 5, 12


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## StDior (May 28, 2015)

1. String Quartet #15, op. 132
2. String Quartet #13, op. 130
3. String Quartet #14, op. 131
4. String Quartet #11, op.75 (Serioso)
5. String Quartet #10, op.74 (Harp)
6. String Quartet #1, op. 18/1
7. String Quartet #16, op.135
8. String Quartet #7, op. 59/1 (Razumovsky)
9. String Quartet #8, op. 59/2 (Razumovsky)
10. String Quartet #5, op. 18/5
11. String Quartet #6, op. 18/6
12. String Quartet #9, op. 59/3 (Razumovsky)
13. String Quartet op. 133
14. String Quartet #4, op. 18/4
15. String Quartet #2, op. 18/2
16. String Quartet #12, op.127
17. String Quartet #3, op. 18/3


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I am surprised how much people love op.74 (like top 5-6 or so) and how comparably little love (except lextune) there is for op.127.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

17. Op 18/5
16. Op 18/6
15. Op 18/3
14. Op 18/1
13. Op 18/2
12. Op 18/4
11. Op 95
10. Op 59/1
9. Op 74
8. Op 59/2
7. Op 59/3
6. Op 127
5. Op 130
4. Op 135
3. Op 132
2. Op 133
1. Op 131


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Kreisler jr said:


> I am surprised how much people love op.74 (like top 5-6 or so) and how comparably little love (except lextune) there is for op.127.


I love Op 127, but not as much as the other late quartets.

I prefer Razumovskies nos. 2 & 3, and the late quartets over the Harp.


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

Kreisler jr said:


> I am surprised how much people love op.74 (like top 5-6 or so) and how comparably little love (except lextune) there is for op.127.


My opinion is hard to rationalise but I am of the opinion the Eb Major is not a key that perfectly suits all music. For me at least, I can much better relate to the other keys of the last quartets than the Eb Major. I even go as far this: were the quartet in D Major, it would be much more popular.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

op.74 is in the same key, so I don't think that this is a main reason. I also don't think it is unpopular in general (although not as popular as some others) but 3 posters after lextune put it in their bottom tier which struck me as surprising. The slow movement alone should put this certainly in the better half of Beethoven's (or anyone's) quartets.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Mmmph.

16 string quartets and a couple of quintets.

I'd have to put *Op. 130* and *131* and the *Grosse Fuge (Op. 133)* tied for first, I guess.

*Op.132 *in 2nd.

*Op. 29 quintet* in 3rd

But given a proper dressing down I could be convinced to change my mind.


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

Kreisler jr said:


> op.74 is in the same key, so I don't think that this is a main reason. I also don't think it is unpopular in general (although not as popular as some others) but 3 posters after lextune put it in their bottom tier which struck me as surprising. The slow movement alone should put this certainly in the better half of Beethoven's (or anyone's) quartets.


Yeah, but Op. 74 has a nickname, 'Harp', whereas the other Eb Quartet is merely a nicknameless late quartet with a weirder key than the other quartets.

Of course I am not talking about a major effect on the popularity of these quartets, but I genuinely think this is the explanation for the slight differences in the popularity.


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

CnC Bartok said:


> Am I the only one who's happy to use the numbers for the symphonies, piano sonatas, concertos, but for some inane reason only uses the Opus numbers with the quartets??!
> 
> It's a tie for me, Opp.130, 131, 132 at the top. 59/1, 74, 18/1 are for me the best of the earlier quartets.


speaking for myself, it's because when I was getting to know the quartets, they were always referred to by their opus numbers rather than order-number


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Btw, don't forget you can still pick up the decent Colorado cycle for a ridiculous $1 at the link below (no catch). 

BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS - COLORADO STRING QUARTET (DIGITAL DOWNLOAD)


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