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String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59 No. 3 “Razumovsky”

I. Andante con moto

Ludwig van Beethoven · 1806 · C major · 270 bars · 513 chords analysed

The last Razumovsky quartet ends with a blazing fugue.

Beethoven's 16 string quartets trace his whole life. The six of Op. 18 (1798–1800) master the classical style he inherited from Haydn and Mozart; the middle quartets stretch it; the late quartets (1825–26), written when he was completely deaf, are among the most searching music ever composed.

Keys visited: C major, G major, E♭ major, F minor, E minor, F major, C minor, D♭ major.