Pieces › Ludwig van Beethoven

String Quartet No. 6 in B♭ major, Op. 18 No. 6

I. Allegro con brio

Ludwig van Beethoven · 1798–1800 · B♭ major · 266 bars · 373 chords analysed

The finale begins with a slow, strange introduction Beethoven titled “La Malinconia” (melancholy).

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: B♭ major, C major, F major, F minor, D major, G minor, E♭ major, D♭ major, B♭ minor.