set of parts

Beethoven completed his String Quartet op. 135 at Wasserdorf Castle in Gneixenhof, where he sought to recuperate with his nephew Karl after the latters failed suicide attempt in summer 1826. It stands out among his late quartets owing to the often cheerful, almost pastoral character of its four movements. Since Beethovens death it has often been interpreted as an attempt to take wise and positive stock of the mishaps that had befallen him in the preceding years regarding his life situation, family and health. This interpretation is strongly suggested by the final movement, Der schwer gefasste Entschluss (The Difficult Decision), with its motto Must it be? It must be! It must be!

The editing of this quartet proved especially complex, for the authentic sources were reworked at various stages by the composer. By judiciously assessing them, editor Jonathan Del Mar has managed to clarify many anomalies found in previous editions.

Beethoven’s op. 135, one of the last works he composed, is equally famous for its compositional clarity and for the inadequacy of previous editions. Theproblem lies in the surviving sources, for Beethoven’s autograph score contains a great many contradictions compared to his autograph set of parts. In 1827, after Beethoven’s death, the German publisher of the first edition posthumously ironed out these discrepancies as he saw fit, and later editions simply adopted his interventions. Rainer Cadenbach’s volume is the first attempt to produce an authoritative text for op. 135. Beethoven’s contradictory formulations are laid bare, allowing musicians to make their own decisions. This ambitious new edition also finds room for ideal page turns.