Page:Rolland - Beethoven, tr. Hull, 1927.pdf/215



This fine but difficult quartet, sometimes called the Cello Quartet on account of the prominence given to this instrument, was written in 1806. The Count himself is supposed to have played the cello, and the set of variations on the Russian song used for the Finale was a second compliment to Beethoven's noble Russian patron. Beethoven took his theme from the Prabst collection, 1815, which is not now published, having been superseded by Rimsky-Korsakoff's fine collection. The theme is found there (No. 13) marked Andante and the Russian words may be translated—

Ah, is this my fate?

And what a fate!

The technique and the subject matter is very much more advanced. The first movement contains a remarkable unison passage for the full strings, some remarkable high work for the 1st violin and some wonderful colour effects. The Allegretto is a busy, gossipy movement in B flat. The Adagio molto is a typical Beethoven Adagio. It is the real thing. It runs into the Finale through a long