Fugue for 2 violins, viola and violoncello (B-flat major) op. 133
Listening samples
Dedication
Composition
Ca. May to December 1825
On 21 March 1826 Beethoven's String Quartet in B-flat Major op. 130 was given its first performance, with a great fugue as the last movement. It was especially this final movement that proved difficult for his contemporaries to understand - too difficult as the publisher Mathias Artaria explained to the composer. Although the parts had already been prepared for printing, in September 1826 Artaria suggested that the fugue be 'removed', printed separately and replaced with a new final movement for op. 130. Beethoven agreed surprisingly quickly, and the new finale was composed in autumn 1826.
The fugue was published with the opus number 133. Beethoven had already given some thought to the wording the title, Grande fuge, tantôt libre, tantôt recherché, in December 1826 (he was already bedridden). Parallel to the original version for string quartet, Artaria also planned an arrangement for piano four-hands. The publisher believed that this would make the work more acceptable and better understood - and also improve sales. Beethoven agreed to this suggestion, too. Artaria commissioned the pianist Anton Halm to arrange the fugue as early as April 1826. However, the result did not please the composer at all. As a result Carl Czerny was considered as an arranger but then also discarded. Although Beethoven had at first strictly refused to do so, he finally decided to arrange the fugue himself. At the beginning of September he handed over his piano duet version of the Grosse Fuge to Karl Holz, to be passed on to the publisher. Enclosed with it was the canon Da ist das Werk, sorgt für das Geld (Here is the work, give me the money, WoO 197), underscoring the autonomous nature of this version.
Both the original string quartet version and the piano arrangement appeared at the same time in May 1827. (J.R.)
The fugue was published with the opus number 133. Beethoven had already given some thought to the wording the title, Grande fuge, tantôt libre, tantôt recherché, in December 1826 (he was already bedridden). Parallel to the original version for string quartet, Artaria also planned an arrangement for piano four-hands. The publisher believed that this would make the work more acceptable and better understood - and also improve sales. Beethoven agreed to this suggestion, too. Artaria commissioned the pianist Anton Halm to arrange the fugue as early as April 1826. However, the result did not please the composer at all. As a result Carl Czerny was considered as an arranger but then also discarded. Although Beethoven had at first strictly refused to do so, he finally decided to arrange the fugue himself. At the beginning of September he handed over his piano duet version of the Grosse Fuge to Karl Holz, to be passed on to the publisher. Enclosed with it was the canon Da ist das Werk, sorgt für das Geld (Here is the work, give me the money, WoO 197), underscoring the autonomous nature of this version.
Both the original string quartet version and the piano arrangement appeared at the same time in May 1827. (J.R.)
