Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement

Beethoven started composing this piece around 1810 and dedicated it to his friend Nikolaus Zmeskall. We know from Beethoven’s correspondence at the time that he was going through a period of intense personal struggle and despair. He was very anxious about his worsening deafness, and experienced persistent frustrations over his unfulfilled love life. This was also shortly after Vienna was attacked by Napoleon’s army, which terrified Beethoven – it drove some of his patrons to flee the city, causing him financial insecurity. The composer was therefore miserable and lonely. While this quartet is still considered to belong to his middle period, it’s often regarded as a bridge into his late period because of its style, experimental nature and the minimalistic treatment of the material…