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String Quartet No. 10 in E♭ major, Op. 74 “Harp”

II. Adagio ma non troppo

Ludwig van Beethoven · 1809 · A♭ major · 169 bars · 302 chords analysed

Nicknamed for the plucked (pizzicato) arpeggios in the first movement that sound like a harp.

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: A♭ major, A♭ minor, C♭ major, D♭ major.