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String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18 No. 3

III. Allegro

Ludwig van Beethoven · 1798–1800 · D major · 172 bars · 278 chords analysed

Probably the first of the Op. 18 quartets to be written; it opens with a gentle rising seventh.

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: D major, F♯ minor, G major, D minor, A minor, G minor.