# Late quartets #1: Op. 127



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Fugue Meister is resurrecting old threads, but it may be better to start new discussions. If there's interest, I'll continue these threads, one by one.

The first is Op. 127 in E-flat. What do you think? Like it? Not? Why or why not? Favorite recording(s)? And so forth...


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

Quite a good quartet for sure. One of Ludwig's most immediately likeable - especially the first movement. E-flat is a very nice key.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

KenOC said:


> Fugue Meister is resurrecting old threads, but it may be better to start new discussions. If there's interest, I'll continue these threads, one by one.
> 
> The first is Op. 127 in E-flat. What do you think? Like it? Not? Why or why not? Favorite recording(s)? And so forth...


What can I say, I've got a lot of time on my hands and I like digging. You've got to pardon me I've only been a member for six days.

Op. 127 was one of the last of the "late quartets" that I really got into, it has since become one of the most fun to listen to of that set for me particularly the 1st & 3rd movements. I'd also say it and op. 135 are the most upbeat and optimistic of the "late quartets" would you agree? (just in case no one has seen me on the other posts of this topic Op. 131 will probably always be my favorite with Op. 130 as a close close 2cd)

Currently listening to Rachmaninoff's symphony 2 in e..(new to me).


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## LancsMan (Oct 28, 2013)

For anyone who thinks Beethoven's late quartets are 'difficult' then this should challenge their view as it's a very approachable work. Far simpler to appreciate than say the first two Razumovsky Quartets in my view.

I only have two recordings - a vintage Busch Quartet recording and the Alban Berg Quartet recording. I prefer the Busch - despite it's age. In particular in the slow movement I feel the Alban Berg Quartet are less successful in rendering the variation structure clear.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

I wonder if someone who knows about music could just confirm that it's in a style associated with late Beethoven.


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

Fugue Meister said:


> What can I say, I've got a lot of time on my hands and I like digging. You've got to pardon me I've only been a member for six days.
> 
> Op. 127 was one of the last of the "late quartets", it has since become one of the most fun to listen to of that set for me particularly the 1st & 3rd movements. I'd also say it and op. 135 are the most upbeat and optimistic of the "late quartets" would you agree? (just in case no one has seen me on the other posts of this topic Op. 131 will probably always be my favorite with Op. 130 as a close close 2cd)
> 
> Currently listening to Rachmaninoff's symphony 2 in e..(new to me).


It's actually the first of the "late" quartets.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Mandryka said:


> I wonder if someone who knows about music could just confirm that it's in a style associated with late Beethoven.


Hard to say, for me. I don't associate any "style" with late Beethoven. Musicologists I've read, though, point out several features of the Op. 127 that introduce certain things heard elsewhere in the late quartets. One is the rounding off of corners, the de-emphasis on certain normally critical junctures, such as the return of the main theme at the opening of the recap, which are usually quite obvious signposts in a sonata-form movement. This can be easily heard (or not heard) in the first movement of the Op. 127 as well as the same movements of the Opp. 130 and 132.

Another is the general feeling of introspection and "depth" (something hard to define) that's most obvious in the slow movement of the Op. 127. But can this be called a "style"? Hmmm...

Kerman goes into these matters with some success in his book.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Qua...d=1405200235&sr=1-1&keywords=beethoven+kerman


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

127 was the introduction to new music for string quartet. It laid the auditory groundwork for appreciation of the later quartets. 135 summarized the lessons his contemporaries were supposed to have learned. It's taking awhile for audiences, because each generation of us has to do it again. We aren't aided by generations of composers who... must have their reasons.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Dustin said:


> It's actually the first of the "late" quartets.


How embarrassing... I meant "that I got into", I forgot to finish the thought before the comma. Thanks for the correction Dustin. I'll edit it right away. :tiphat:

Just to clarify I did know that 127 comes before 130, 131, 132, &135, I'm not a maroon. :lol:

I know were all retards sometimes. Not meant to be offensive, I thought its placement apt considering it's a music term. Right?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I think it's nice, but I haven't connected with it like some of the other late quartets. I need to pull it back out. The second movement has some remarkable things going on in its variations.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The only late quartet I can connect with is the a minor.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Listening to the Op. 127. It's all great, but that slow movement with the variations -- nothing like it written before or since!


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

Fugue Meister said:


> How embarrassing... I meant "that I got into", I forgot to finish the thought before the comma. Thanks for the correction Dustin. I'll edit it right away. :tiphat:
> 
> Just to clarify I did know that 127 comes before 130, 131, 132, &135, I'm not a maroon. :lol:
> 
> I know were all retards sometimes. Not meant to be offensive, I thought its placement apt considering it's a music term. Right?


Haha no worries! I'm not the grammar police or anything but sometimes when I don't have anything really intelligent to say, I just correct other people's post to feel like I contributed lol.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Fair enough Dustin. 

I judge you admirable.


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