Page:Rolland - Beethoven, tr. Hull, 1927.pdf/218



This remarkable quartet, composed in 1809 and dedicated to the Prince Lobkovitz, is widely known under the title of the Harp Quartet on account of the remarkable pizzacato arpeggios in the opening Allegro. A short introduction is marked sotto voce. The Allegro contains a brilliant cadenza for the Violin—Beethoven's only excursion into the virtuoso field in chamber music. The very beautiful Adagio is Beethoven at his very best, whilst the Presto Scherzo is curious in form, being arranged with varying tempi, thus, on the following plan:—Presto C minor, Più Presto-Trio C major, C minor, Presto repeated, and again the C major, finishing with the C minor. This leads without break into a set of six variations: the second, notable for its lovely viola melody; and the sixth, organ-like in character over a cello pedal-point.

This quartet is dedicated to Count Zmeskal, Beethoven's willing secretary and man of affairs. Here in this work which stands on the border line