Form Surprise Beethoven String Quartet 12 Op - 127 EbM Graduate Paper by Payman Akhlaghi 2005 UCLA v01

Elements of Form and Surprise in
Beethoven’s Late String Quartet No. 12, Op. 127, In E-flat Major
Author: Payman Akhlaghi (2005) Graduate Research Paper, Toward Degree of PhD in Composition
Elements of Form and Surprise

In
Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 12
Op. 127, in E-Flat Major
By
Payman Akhlaghi
Music 251B
Prof. Roger Bourland
Winter 2005
UCLA
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© 2005, 2011: Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.
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Introduction
An almost decade-long recess in Beethoven’s composing for string quartet was finally
over when his recently re-awakened interest in the genre was further reinforced by the offering
of a commission from Nicholas Galitzin, a Russian prince and a cellist in his own right. Op. 127
was completed in February 1825 and was premiered in the following month in Vienna. This first
of Beethoven’s so-called five Late Quartets – including the Grosse Fugue, Op. 133 – marks an
unprecedented maturity and sophistication of technique and style in Beethoven’s quartet writing,
and indeed, the hitherto history of the genre in general, a sophistication that is perhaps only
comparable to his other four, which were composed soon afterwards. Beginning with this
quartet, aspects of form, harmony, tonal structure, textural design, thematic relations, and
consequently, performance technique and aural perception in quartet writing were radically
transformed, and uncharted territories in musical expression were explored. The towering
achievements of Beethoven’s immediately preceding works, including the five late piano sonatas
– Op. 106 in Bb (Hammerklavier) among them – Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9, had
prepared the composer’s creative powers enough to bring an entirely fresh air of imagination to
quartet composition. Starting with Op. 127, performers and audiences alike were left with an
unparalleled legacy of compositions for this ensemble, at which to ponder and marvel for
decades and centuries to come.
In the following discussion, structural design of this quartet will be examined from
several perspectives, and certain elements, which are believed to constitute the salient means of
coherence, contrast or surprise in the entire work, will be explored. Here an obvious point should
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be reiterated, that it would have been naïve for any such study to have ever aimed for the
impossible task of exhausting the wealth of interpretive possibilities that are offered by this
unceasingly innovative composition.
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Overall Design of the Quartet
String Quartet No. 12 in Eb, Op. 127, is composed of four distinct movements, with only
the second residing mostly in a key other than the home key of Eb—that is Ab, or the
subdominant. While movement 2 is conspicuously conceived as a Theme and Variations
movement – albeit in an exceptionally fluid manner – the other three movements do not lend
themselves easily to conclusive mono-structural labels. On one level, the first, and more
obviously, the fourth movements can be seen as sonatas, while the third movement has most of
the characteristics of a Beethoven Scherzo. On another level, however, frequent departures from
the sonata norms in the first movement have helped it transcend the common rigidity of this
form, while the motivic character of the first theme in movement 4 has given it a rondo-
ritornello guise, as well, evermore so because of the resurfacing gestural treatment of the motif
throughout the movement. This is in addition to a highly inspired decision to have the Coda of
the Finale in a different meter (6/8, as opposed to 2/2 of the rest of the movement), a decision
that proves to be a satisfactory ending, not only for this movement, but also for the quartet as a
whole. Likewise, the Scherzo avoids the ordinary by employing developmental procedures,
which are normally associated with a sonata movement, and by bearing inside a multi-sectional
episode, marked Presto, which assumes the role of the ‘trio’ in the Scherzo, a highly contrasting
material that seem to defy gravity altogether. The Scherzo also manifests a favorite formal
strategy of especially late Beethoven, that is the ‘multiple-choice ending’, also used in the Coda
of the Finale. [cf. below, Composition as a Reflection…]. Still, the complexity of tonal relations
and thematic treatment in this Scherzo make it irresistibly comparable to the Scherzo from the 9th
Symphony [mvt. II], which is conceived more or less as a sonata form.
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The formal flexibility of these movements can be explained as a direct result of the
composer’s increasingly radical approach to established forms, constantly questioning the
necessity of their common norms, and tirelessly searching for new ways to satisfy their structural
needs. Generally speaking, form in Beethoven’s music feels more as the external appearance of
an integrated musical material, i.e. an incident of the content, rather than a mold into which
musical material are poured and shaped. In Beethoven’s music, at every turn, the dramatic needs
of a composition seem to supersede the established norms of the form at hand. A satisfying
sequence of psychological events seems to always underlie his music, one that gives this music
an unparalleled sense of inevitability.
On the other hand, Beethoven seems also to enjoy manipulating habits and expectations,
sometimes for humorous effects, and at other times for sheer inventiveness. In such cases, he
might even unabashedly present easily recognizable signifiers, only soon to be used in betraying
habituated expectations. The Maestoso section of the first movement is a good case in point.
Each of its three appearances seem to mark certain sections of a sonata form – Exposition,
Development, and Recapitulation – while the events that pursue each expression of the
Maestoso, do not fully conform with the expectations of a sonata form, one of which is the fact
that the Development starts when one would expect ordinarily a Repeat of the Exposition! The
Recapitulation is not straight, either, as after the third Maestoso, the first theme seems to have
some trouble with the scherzo-like material, perhaps remnants of the Development, until a few
measures later when it finally arrives back at the home key of Eb. Likewise, the absence of the
Maestoso at the end of this section is now enough of a surprise for the beginning of the Coda. A
similar effect is achieved in the Finale movement, when the syncopated opening wild leap of (g-
g-Ab) returns at m. 97: here, the motif is initially heard as the Repeat of the Exposition, but it is
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soon discovered to have signaled the arrival of the Development. Thus, it becomes clear that
Finale, too, does not contain a repeat of the Exposition, be it re-written or marked. In its place, a
gigantic development section leads the way to the Recapitulation (m. 187), to be followed by an
inventive Coda in 6/8.
From the above, one of the main characteristics of the late Beethoven style becomes
evident, as it appears in the Op. 127 quartet: a discernible disdain for exact repetition. In the first
movement, the Maestoso, in each of its three appearances, is presented in a substantially, but
subtly different manner – each time re-voiced in a new key, the last time shortened by two
measures. Both sonata movements (1 and 4) avoid repeating the Exposition, and in the case of
the first, the traditional I-V relations between the contrasting themes has been replaced with third
relations—I-iii in the Exposition, and I-vi in the Recapitulation. In the Variations of the second
movement, the desire for constant change prevents almost any kind of repeat at a local or global
level for the movement, including an exact replication of the original phrase structure in
subsequent variations. [The distortion of phrase-structure is an important, perhaps unique feature
of these variations. The subtlety with which this happens defies analysis.] In the last movement,
each return of the original theme is different in texture, voicing, and developmental treatment.
Only the Scherzo seems to have an exact Da Capo [written out without repeat] after the Presto, a
polite gesture that makes the witty play of its ‘multiple-choice’ Coda with the established
expectations of the movement even more effective.
In general, the avoidance of exact repetitions is a result of the composer’s desire to
exploit the possibilities offered by a given idea to their limits. Consequently, with increasing
frequency in his later compositions, themes or entire sections mostly reappear only with certain
transformations, e.g. with more embellishment, with key changes, and/or with a new textural
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treatment. Furthermore, at least in the case of Op. 127, this creative urge transcends the limits of
individual movements and becomes a generative process for related thematic material to be used
in different movements [cf. below, under ‘Means of Coherence’].
To summarize, it would be safe to assert that Beethoven is more likely to ‘employ’ forms
to the service of his needs, rather than allowing a form to dictate his musical creativity. This
aspect of Beethoven’s music is no more evident than in his late period, including – especially –
the Late Quartets. The cited examples in the above show that Op. 127 is not an exception to this
statement.
Marginally, one could say that constant development is perhaps a musical manifestation
of organic forms found in nature, such as plants, forms that have also inspired the works of many
other artists, including the famed Catalonian architect, Antonio Gaudi. For a short expansion of
this thesis cf. below, under Afterthoughts, Late Quartets and the Architecture of Gaudi.
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Means of Coherence
Op. 127 is an epitome of Beethovenian organicism. Among the factors that are possibly
responsible for the structural stability and formal cohesion of this work, Symmetrical Structures,
Motivic, Intervallic and Tonal Relations, besides what can be broadly referred to as Architectural
Constructions seem to be most prominent.
To begin, the Maestoso section seems to contain the core of the thematic material for the
first movement, and indeed, the entire quartet. The brief examination that follows could make
this thesis appear much less far-reaching than it might seem at first.
The most prominent feature of the Maestoso is a multi-step reach toward the climax of
the phrase – four steps to be exact – which for the sake of simplicity, we shall refer to as the
‘ascending stairs’ motif. The first violin climbs up the span of a M6 interval, from Eb4 to the
upper C5, with two prominent leaps of P4 interval. The Maestoso character then gives in to a
sublime 4-tier stepwise descent by the first violin in 3/4 Allegro, the first two steps being made
of a 3-note motif of an upward P4 and downward 3rd. This seemingly asymmetrical answer is
the consequent of the Maestoso, and itself consists of a pair of 4 measures, making up its own
antecedent and consequent [repeated for a final melodic cadence on Eb]:
Ant ecedent Consequent .

mm. 1-6 mm. 7-14, 15-22
||: antecedent consequent:||
mm. 7-10 mm. 11-14
mm. 15-18 mm. 19-22
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The architectural symmetry of these bars becomes more apparent if we also consider the
overall intervallic span of the Maestoso phrase and its answer: while the Eb4 moves down a P4
to Bb3 in order to prepare its first upward leap, the climactic C5 makes a P4 leap upward to F5
before starting its descent. These interval relationships are as symmetric as they could be: an
inner interval of M6 is bracketed within two intervals of P4. Or in tonal terms, while the
dominant of Eb is securing the tonic, the submediant Cm is being supported by its own
subdominant. There also is the overall dome-shape or convex contour of the structural line,
which is later on counterbalanced with the concave shape of the second theme at m. 41,
presented in Gm, i.e. the mediant. (In the Recapitulation, the second theme returns in Cm, i.e. the
relative minor of the home key, generating a secure tonal symmetry. See below under the
discussion of symmetrical features of the quartet.)
Here could also be the possibility of an elaborate symbolic reference in the composition,
and if true, the essence of which could be found in the very opening of the quartet. For an
explanation of this idea, see below, under Afterthoughts: The Symbolic World of Op. 127: a
Question.
The main themes of the ensuing movements show a subtle relationship with the overall
structure of the Maestoso. The multiple-step reach of the Maestoso’s ‘ascending stairs’ motif is
expressed in the theme of the second movement, especially the second period of the theme, also
being challenged in reaching the climax. Furthermore, the opening of the theme of movement 2
at mm. 2-3 covers the span of a M6 [Eb4-C5], while the upward reaches of the second period
contain mainly intervals of P4, filled in as scalar tetrachords.
Still more evidently, the Scherzo employs the 4-step ascent by a genuine use of a 4-note
motif, climbing up in steps of 3rds, only to return by employing the exact though transposed
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inversion of a motif, in a 4-tier descent. [Note that to avoid obvious symmetry, Beethoven varies
the last step by the use of a ‘trill motif’, itself a cyclical motivic gesture. Also note that the trill
motif is present in many places, and it could be seen readily as the development of the ‘measured
trill’ at the end of the Maestoso phrase. Finally, the last movement shows a similar 4-step attempt
to reach the climax of the phrase, although this time it is in a stationery manner: a circular motif
(do-sol-mi-do-fa) repeats once, reaches raised 4th degree (fi) on the third attempt, and reaches the
submediant C on the fourth attempt. Then the theme soars downward to the dominant, climbs up
again to the dominant, and finally finds home on the supertonic (in the antecedent) and the tonic
(in the consequent).
Besides the above 4-step ascending or descending architectural connection, the main
motifs themselves seem to be inter-related between the four movements. The theme of the
variations movement shares with the Maestoso and its answer (i.e. the descent) the prominent
intervallic spans of 4th (in its sub-phrases) and 6th (in its opening phrase). More directly,
however, is the relation between that 3-note motif of the Maestoso’s consequent (mm. 7-8, ff)
and the 4-note motif of the Scherzo. First, both motifs have a P4 span; second, both have an
upward motion to be resolved inward; third, and more abstractly (but aurally verifiable), the
Scherzo motif is a superimposition of the 3-note motif and its inversion. This should not be a
surprising point, given the fact that the inversion of the 4-note motif is used immediately for the
answer in the Scherzo, in a quite conscious manner. The Scherzo theme then goes through a
multifaceted transformation of its own—metric change from 3/4 to 4/4, addition of a passing
tone to fill the 3rd gap, adoption of a 4-note repetition of its first note as the head-start—and thus,
being transformed into the contrasting second theme for the Finale.
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Marginally, it is a valid observation that Scherzo’s 4-note motif is, indeed, a mere
rhythmic variation on a found object outside this quartet, i.e. the famous ‘Jupiter’ motif—do-re-
fa-mi—not only found in Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, but also with elaboration, as the subject of
the Fugue No. 1 in C from WTC I. Given the initially ultra-classical treatment of the motif at the
beginning of the Scherzo and Beethoven’s known reverence for both composers, such a
connection seems to be a credible possibility.
The symmetrical relations of the work are also expressed with more abstraction in the
tonal relationships, both between and within the movements. To begin, while movements 1 to 4
are mainly in the keys of Eb, Ab, Eb, and Eb, respectively, the subdominant weight of the second
movement is counterbalanced with a move to the Bb, i.e. the dominant, at the beginning of the
Scherzo, mm. 3 ff, albeit with a clear sense of secondary harmony.
Symmetrical Tonal Relations Within Movements
The key relations within each movement display a similar interest in symmetric
constructions, sometimes tonal and at other times, geometric. Again considering movement 1,
the second theme is present once in the key of Gm—i.e. a 3rd above the tonic Eb—and then in
the Recapitulation, in the key of Cm— a 3rd below the tonic. This may be called a ‘tonal
symmetry’, because the reflection around Eb has been modified from M3 above to a m3 below.
The pillar-like Maestoso structure shows a similar tonal symmetry with even more clarity, as
each of its three expressions are in the following keys: Eb, G, and C, respectively. To
summarize, movement 1 moves mainly through the following tonal centers, with short or long
stays in each key:
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Exposition (mm. 1-74): Eb–[Cm]–Gm  G

Development (mm. 75-134): G–Cm–C––[Bbm, Fm]C
Recap. Intervention (mm. 135-166): C–Fm-Ab [-Bb]
Recapitulation: (mm.167-240): Eb–[Ab]–Cm
Coda (mm. 241-end): [Ab]-Cm----[Ab, etc.]---Bb-Eb
[Figures in brackets are of a more transitory nature. For a

detailed analysis of all movement, see Appendices 1-4 at the end of
the paper.]
Movement 2, i.e. the Theme and Variations movement, moves to the subdominant, by
first introducing the pitch Db over a bass of Eb, and soon completing the V7 of Ab and
establishing the key—indeed, a genuinely smooth transition between the two movements, even
more effective because of its quietly activated sustained V7 harmony. The theme and the first
two variations remain in Ab, with local secondary tonicizations. Variation 3, however, starts with
a sudden entry into the world of lowered 6th degree, i.e. the Neapolitan of the dominant (N. of
V). Beethoven seems to have especially favored this move of a downward M3 in the key of Ab,
because of its call for a striking change in key signature – 4 flats to 4 sharps – for purposes of
enharmonic spelling (cf. the slow movement of Piano Sonata No. 8, in Cm, Op. 13,
‘Pathetique’). The return to Ab is accomplished with a similar strategy to that of an earlier piece,
i.e. the return to Eb at the Finale of the Emperor concerto: D#, i.e. the leading tone of E, is
reinterpreted as Eb, i.e. the dominant of Ab. It feels as if the entire 3rd variation has been only an
elaborate tonicization of the dominant.
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The 5th variation moves to the key of C#m, the enharmonic equivalent of Dbm, or the
minor subdominant. This key, also the relative minor of var. 3, is now in a symmetrical relation
to the strongly tonicized, but absent dominant in that variation [see above], a musical fact that
supports the symmetrical tonal relationship of this movement despite appearances. The 6th var.
and the coda are in the key of Ab, although Beethoven exploits the ambiguities of lowered 6th (N.
of V) and iv (minor subdominant) relations along with enharmonic spellings to the end of the
movement. Only 5 measures to the end, three chordal phrases are introduced [the move indeed
starts two measures earlier in the cello], with the following progressions if enharmonically
spelled:
C#m E-B7-E Ab-Eb-Ab

E D# Eb
The ensuing registral expansion of the outer voices toward the end in the last measure is
in contrary motion, which in turns prepares for the symmetrical, step-wise resolution of V4/3-I in
the vn.1 and cello. This cadence is unusually sublime and smooth, a quality that makes the
bouncing entrance of the Scherzo the more surprising.
The top voices of the three aforementioned progressions consist of a 3-note motif on the
tonic, Ab-Bb-Ab (Ab-A-Ab in the second), the inversion of which, when transposed to Eb,
makes up the top voice of the pizzicato opening of the Scherzo, although with a return to the
second note: Eb-D-Eb-D. This I-V-I-V progression helps the harmony to shift quickly to the V of
Eb, balancing against the subdominant tonality of the previous movement. The first expression
of the ‘ascending-descending stairs’ is in Bb, i.e. V/V, but soon the theme returns jauntily,
establishing itself in the main key of Eb.

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The Scherzo has an overall ternary structure—||:A:|| P A’, with a short Coda. The A
sections form the Scherzo proper, while the P section consists of the Presto section of the
movement. Each of these sections is further divided to smaller subsections, with dual endings if
necessary, as follows:
||: A :||  ||: A1 :||: A2 :|| br. [br. = Bridge]
P  ||: x:|| br.1 y-x' , br.2 y'-x'' , br.3 y''' ||

[x' and x" have a ritornello character.]
A’  A1 A2 br.
i.e. Da capo, senza repetitione, almost verbatim
Coda  “Multiple-Choice”: reference to P, reference to cadential Br. at the end of

A, end with the scherzo theme.
The A', that is return to A is arrives in an interesting manner, as the composer starts the section
with the consequent of the main theme, that is the ‘descending half’ of the stairs, again in V/V,
i.e. Bb. [The A section alone contains enough developmental material to qualify it as a mono-
thematic sonata.] The first climactic moment in A arrives at m.61 with an ff dynamic, in the key
of Gb, that is a m3 above the tonic. It moves through a bridge with alternating meters of 2/4 and
3/4 (mm. 70-89) and a key sequence of Gm-Cm-Fm, while working its way back to Eb. The
move up to the Gb seems to have been effectively balanced with the strong move to the bass C of
the cello, as the Fm is mainly on a pedal C. The transition to Presto also consists of a long pedal,
over Eb. This is combined with a circle of fifths progression through Eb7-Ab(7)-Db(7), and with
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a concluding emphasis on lowered 6th degree, i.e. Cb. The balance against the Gb is now
complete.
Part of the power of the Presto lies in its tonal unrest. X moves quickly from Eb to Db,
and the y-x pairs move through a tonal sequence of downward 3rds, or indeed, ‘major & relative
minor’ pairs that move in another circle of fifths: Db-Bbm, Gb-Ebm, Bb  Eb. One could
observe that this multi-step, downward tonal sequence is another abstract expression of the
‘descending stairs’ motif.
The Finale in Eb takes up where the Scherzo ended: a fast, syncopated figure answers the
last phrase of the Scherzo, and soon brings forth the main theme. The emphasis on the
subdominant (Ab) symmetrically balances against prominence of V in the Scherzo’s cadence.
Note that this sudden upward move and the ensuing smooth downward descent are reminiscent
of the difference in character between the ascending Maestoso and the teneramente descent at the
opening of the quartet. This time, the key relations between the main and secondary themes seem
to follow the I-V and I-I sonata norms in the Exposition and the Recapitulation, respectively. The
upward reach toward the climax on high Bb at m. 73 [and its counterpart in the Recapitulation on
high Eb at m. 237] is again prepared with a 4-step ascending sequence, which is made of a three-
note cell. This 3-note cell is a rhythmic derivative of the opening figure of the movement.
The Development starts deceptively with the three-note opening figure, but immediately
decides to develop the second theme, first in C, and then in Cm. At m. 93 a curious harmony
appears in arpeggiated form: an Augmented Eb triad, in downward motion. [An Augmented triad
with its symmetrical character later forms the basis of the tonal progressions in the ensuing
Coda.] Soon the tonality shifts to Fm and F [note the reversed order of modes], then over long
Bb and Eb pedals, it arrives at the subdominant Ab (m.145). After such enforcement of V and
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IV, Eb can now be established with security (m. 187), and even become the sudden resolution of
a V7/V harmony [F7] at m. 237. The Recapitulation ends expectantly on a C major triad, and the
surprising Coda emerges out of a long trill on this harmony. [Note the surprising element at the
end of the Development, that is the pseudo-recapitulation in Ab (IV), which soon yields in to the
Recapitulation in I.]
The Coda repeats the main theme of Finale through a symmetrical key relation, i.e. C-
Ab-E [enh. Fb], and then in a sudden shift, the Eb major! Scalar runs appear, and the dominant-
tonic harmony begins to assert itself with determination. Yet elements of symmetric balance do
not surrender until the last moment. First, the cello takes the expansive version of the main
theme, which magnifies its stress on the subdominant Ab. Triplet passages playing around the
dominant, which create a modal ambiguity by alternation between the lowered and natural 6th
degrees, interrupt the flow. And finally, the second half of the theme is asserted by vn.1,
emphasizing the dominant, as a raised ii harmony over the pedal Eb. The music ends with a
triumphant V-I cadence.
Here, a note seems necessary: the recognition of symmetrical features of this work should
only be understood in the context of the composer’s juxtaposition of symmetry and asymmetry
as a propelling force for the composition. In other words, the prediction inherent in a
symmetrical structure makes asymmetrical deviations more effective. This fact is more easily
recognizable in the case of Beethoven’s ‘absolute’ themes, e.g. the soaring theme of the last
movement from Piano Sonata No. 1in F minor (Op. 2, No. 1), or more famously, the Ode to Joy
theme of the 9th Symphony, otherwise simple tunes, which find their immense attraction from
their interaction with the context in which they have appeared.
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And finally, in regards to meter, movements 1, and 3 also share in their primarily 3/4
meters, while movement 4 takes long before yielding in from its 2/2 [alla breve] to a Coda in
6/8. In the case of Movement 2, the pervasive slow 12/8 feels as a fusion between a ternary sub-
meter with a quadruple hypermeter. In this regard, the entire work appears as multifaceted
manifestations of prevailing triple meters, in contrasting juxtaposition and/or combination with
duple meters.
There is a multitude of related motivic material in this ever-evolving composition, which
makes an attempt in providing a comprehensive list of all such elements almost futile. All 5 of
the late quartets, besides the major late piano sonatas, share in this feature.
Composition as a Reflection of Its Own Creation
There are certain features in Op. 127 that make it qualified to demonstrate an important
aspect of the Beethoven’s late period, i.e. a composition’s potential to reflect, even reflect on its
own creation and its creator. In the realm of painting, this could have been comparable to an
artist’s self-portrait, showing himself at work before a mirror.
The works of a painter such as Escher provide suitable cases in point: the artist’s self-
portrait as he holds a crystal globe in one hand and a pencil in the other; a hand that is drawing
itself; or a young museum visitor, who is portrayed simultaneously looking at himself from an
opposite window. Up to Beethoven’s time, the musical equivalent of such a process could be
found mainly in passing. Haydn, in the words of Alfred Brendel, has such moments to humorous
effects, when a route has to be retaken as it had hit a ‘wrong note’ in the first try! The titles of
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Haydn’s symphonies also reflect on such circumstances, with the ‘Surprise’ symphony being a
well-known example, where a real-life situation surrounding the composer leads him to a
musical and formal decision with a functional value.
To Beethoven, however, such self-reflections would find such significance and
sophistication that could not always be characterized in humorous terms. Such is the case of the
Cavatina movement from Op. 130, or the Thanksgiving movement from Op. 132. in Am. In both
of these cases, the heavily intense and personal atmospheres of the movements even find literal
meaning through carefully selected words by the composer: Beklemt (oppressed, stuffy) appears
at the middle of the first, and the Thanksgiving starts with a clear statement, not only indicating
the intention, but also the mode in which the music was written. (The second movement of Op.
127, i.e. the Variations, especially the 3rd in E and the 5th in C#m, seem to be foreshadowing the
arrival of these two very personal movements in the following two quartets.)
But such a reflection could also have a technical value in the hands of the composer for
sheer formal inventiveness. In Op. 127, one can find such device at use, what we referred before
as ‘the multiple choice’ endings. The transition to the Fugue of the Hammerklavier is an earlier
example of such a technique. There, the composer seems to be showing the audience the
different decisions that are being examined, the different pathways that could be taken, and the
ultimate road selected. A similar effect happens later on in the ending of the Grosse Fugue.
Similarly, in the case of Op. 127, at the end of the Scherzo movement (and to a certain extent,
during the Coda of the last movement), a game is played on the audience, as the composer
sounds a phrase from the Presto section, but leaves it off unfinished. On the serious side,
movement 2 (Variations) also shows an abrupt transition in the move to the key of E for the 3rd
variation, and a similarly abrupt pause before the coda. There is a sketchiness to these two moves
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that calls attention again to the artist’s compositional pen and the psychology of the creative
process.
Such direct reflections of the artist in his own art as we find in the compositions of the
late period seem to have been as important to the musical legacy of Beethoven and his impact on
the Romantic generation as the verbal articulation of his ideas and personality in literal
biographies of the composer.
Afterthoughts
Late Quartets and the Architecture of Gaudi
A comparative study between the architecture of Beethoven’s compositions and Antonio
Gaudi’s constructions seems to be promising on many levels. One prominent feature of
comparison is the extreme organicism in the works of both artists – constructing gigantic
structures, which grow out of small seeds in every detail. A second feature would be their
common desire to – seemingly – free up their constructions from a reliance on the base (in
music) or the foundation (in architecture) as a structural possibility, what could be expressed as a
desire for stable structures that seem to be left in the air, hanging uneasily and ready to fall—to
put it succinctly, an interest in suspended structures.
To better illustrate the point, one can especially point to the opening theme of Franz
Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1, in Eb—tonal ambiguity of the line, a downward cell in still
downward motion, an unsettling chromaticism, and a disregard of the classical sensitivity toward
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balance combine to allow this passage appear as one of the most anxiety-ridden openings in the
literature. Here, the music draws a frightening sense of propulsion from the musical equivalent of
an apparently unsupported, suspended architectural ornament. In the case of Beethoven, such
suspensions appear much better supported, structurally speaking. [Cf. the opening of Op. 131, in
C#m.]
The thesis could also in part explain Beethoven’s growing interest in embedding fugues
within the context of multi-movement compositions, most eloquently in compositions of his later
period such as the instrumental Fugue at the heart of Finale of the 9th Symphony, the fugue as the
last movement of Hammerklavier Sonata, the opening movement of Quartet in C#m, Op. 131,
and of course, the Grosse Fugue in Bb, Op. 133, which was the original Finale movement of
Quartet in Bb, Op. 130. One could feel the opening of a fugue as a prime musical example of a
body hanging loosely but expectantly in the air, anxiously awaiting support, and yet
simultaneously, hear it as the musical manifestation of a seed that is to grow into a fully bloomed
tree. (For a case in this point, notice specially the opening bars of the Quartet in C#m, Op. 131,
and with equal weight, the Exposition of the Grosse Fugue.)
Furthermore, imitation in general, and fugue in particular, also best satisfied Beethoven’s
increasing tendency toward a democratic treatment of the musical space, an egalitarian desire
with not only musical dimensions, but especially in the context of a string quartet, with wider
humanitarian and social ramifications for the individual members of such ensembles, as well.]
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The Symbolic World of Op. 127: a Question
It seems that for Beethoven, the key of Eb has an association with the Maestoso
character. His other works in the same key include two grandiose works: the Third Symphony
(Eroica) and the Fifth Piano Concerto (The Emperor). It is a valid question to ask whether there
are other layer or layers of extra-musical connotation, or to put it differently, a symbolic
significance, to this key, and possibly other features of the quartet, mainly known to the
composer himself and perhaps his circle of acquaintances.
To begin, such symbolic references have long been established in the case of Mozart’s
opera, The Magic Flute, with a fugal Overture also in the key of Eb. In this case, biographical
information and known historical facts about the Freemasonry fraternity society and its symbolic
theology have long convinced scholars such as Maynard Solomon that this opera indeed operates
on a vast matrix of symbolic references to the Masonic world. Such references in the opera have
been found on both conspicuous (e.g. the characters, the plot, etc.), as well as abstract levels—
including the fact that “the key of Eb was used in almost all music written for use in Masonic
rituals.” [cf. Solomon (2003), p. 152.]
Solomon in his 2003 book, Late Beethoven (pp. 135-178), has dedicated two chapters to
an examination of the possible relationship between Beethoven and the Masonic society. From
his study, there appears to be little doubt that Beethoven was quite familiar with the cult, its
members and their beliefs. But whether Beethoven himself was ever an official member of the
society can not be ascertained. One conclusion could be that Beethoven did know about their
beliefs, and given the fact that some of his patrons (Lichnowski among them) belonged to the
society, he might have even developed a respect for their beliefs and rituals, especially when
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those ideas were aligned with his own personal convictions rooted in sources predating the
Masonic movement (e.g. Kant, Plutarch, and the mystical tradition of Christianity.) Still it cannot
be said with certainty whether he himself practiced the Masonic rituals, especially toward the
end of his life.
In regards to his music, Solomon prescribes caution in drawing conclusions: “Whether
specific musical patterns or motifs in Beethoven’s instrumental music can be interpreted as
characteristic-style topics or tropes drawn from an available vocabulary of Masonic music as is
believed to exist in Mozart’s symbolic tribute to Freemasonry, remains an open question. […] Eb
is not inevitably a Masonic key, and the three choral entries and responses that open the Kyrie of
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, for example, are not necessarily Masonic but are, because of their
occurrence in the context of a genre of Catholic religious music, even more likely intended to
represent the Holy Trinity or the triune nature of sacred in general (ibid, p. 152).”
Still, certain aspects of Beethoven’s Op. 127 permit speculations regarding the existence
of such symbolicism in this work. To begin, this work was intended as a secular work, and
although based on earlier sketches, it was being composed on a commission by a Russian patron.
[It would be so much more convenient for our thesis if it was clear whether Galitzin was himself
a freemason or not!] Could it be that the 4-step ascending structure of the Maestoso and its 4-tier
teneramente (tenderly) descent are symbolic representations of the triumphant conclusion of a
majestic multi-step ordeal and its spiritual reward, respectively, such as found in the Masonic
ritualistic world? (See ibid for a description of the Masonic symbolism.) Or a musical
reconstruction of a symbolic shape in the Masonic tradition?
As Solomon suggests (ibid, p. 145) a triangular shape found in a Beethoven letter
(reproduced ibid, p. 144) can be interpreted as “a try square, a tool used to lay out or test right
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angles, which is also a universal emblem of Freemasonry, symbolizing morality, truthfulness,
and honesty [my emphasis].” Interestingly enough, the same facsimile of the letter also contains
a melodic sketch, a 2-step sequence, made of the following notes: F-A-G, A-D-C. The contour of
these cells much resembles the shape of the triangular figure in the letter. But more importantly
for us, these cells have also clear similarities to the 3-note motif in the teneramente section of
Op. 127: C-F-D, etc., which as was seen before, bears a crucial importance to the motivic
structure of the quartet.
Along these lines, consider the three expressions of the Maestoso in the following keys:
Eb, G, C—a tonally symmetrical key relationship, even visually similar to a triangle on the piano
keyboard. Considering that the second expression is the most voluminous, both in voicing and
registral dynamic, it appears as to be emphasizing even further the triangular shape of this three-
pillar construction, as now a climactic moment of a [right?] triangle, in a stand-up position is
fully depicted on grand plane. The multi-step dome shape of the Maestoso and its descent
(another expression of a symmetry) appear in Eb, but the concave contour of the second theme
appears in a wailing Gm.
Many of the symmetrical features of the entire quartet examined above can now be seen
as different expressions of a triangular symmetry, e.g. the Eb-Ab-[Bb]Eb key relations between
movements; the perfect symmetry of the opening of the Scherzo; the choice of Gb as the
climactic key for the Scherzo proper between a primarily Eb and Cm material (m3 relations); the
presence of an Eb+ (augmented) triad in the last movement; and the downward sequence of C-
Ab-E for the Coda of the Finale before settling on the Eb, which is indeed a fully triangular
construction on the piano keyboard. And did we forget to mention why Eb was the key of choice
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for Freemasonry music? According to Solomon (ibid), its symbolic significance lied in the
number of flats in its key signature: three.
Given the more established connection of Mozart to the Masonic society, the use of the
‘Jupiter’ motif for the Scherzo seems now to be more justified. And yet, another valid line of
inquiry would be to ask whether there was any actual construction, e.g. a real building, that
Beethoven had in mind in sketching the quartet, perhaps one with intended Freemason symbolic
features.
Note that even if the above speculations were proved to be true, they would only add to
the ingenuity of Beethoven’s creative process, one that transformed rather simple and direct
material into complex, independent musical narratives.
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Bibliography of Works Cited and/or Consulted
1) Beethoven, L. van: Complete String Quartets, 1970; Dover republication of an earlier
publication by Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig.
2) Beethoven, L. van: The String Quartets, Sound recording by Emerson Quartet, 1996-97;
Deutsche Grammophone GmbH, Hamburg.
3) Beethoven, L. van: Late Quartets, Sound recording by Tokyo Quartet, 1993; BMG, RCA
Victor Read Seal.
4) Beethoven, L. van: Complete Piano Sonatas (Klaviersonaten), Urtext ed. in 2 volumes,
1980; G. Henele Verlag, Germany.
5) Bourland, R.: Class lectures and discussions, winter 2005; UCLA.
6) Solomon, M.: Late Beethoven, 2003, chs. 7-8 [pp. 135-178], titled “The Masonic Thread”
and “The Mason Imagination”; University of California Press, Berkeley.
7) Winter, R. & Martin, R. eds.: The Beethoven Quartet Companion; 1994; University of
California Press, London, England.
a. Kerman, J.: Beethoven Quartet Audiences: Actual, Potential, Ideal [pp. 7-27]
b. Steinberg, M.: Notes on the Quartets: The Late Quartets [pp. 213-244]
Appendices
1) Diagramic analysis of Op. 127, Mvt. 1.

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5) And Onward: Musical Examples.
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Form Surprise Beethoven String Quartet 12 Op - 127 EbM Graduate Paper by Payman Akhlaghi 2005 UCLA v01

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Elements of Form and Surprise in

Elements of Form and Surprise

Prof. Roger Bourland

decades and centuries to come.

unceasingly innovative composition.

Overall Design of the Quartet

subdominant. While movement 2 is conspicuously conceived as a Theme and Variations

Symphony [mvt. II], which is conceived more or less as a sonata form.

composer’s increasingly radical approach to established forms, constantly questioning the

an unparalleled sense of inevitability.

inventive Coda in 6/8.

subsequent variations. [The distortion of phrase-structure is an important, perhaps unique feature

expectations of the movement even more effective.

In general, the avoidance of exact repetitions is a result of the composer’s desire to

in different movements [cf. below, under ‘Means of Coherence’].

Constructions seem to be most prominent.

antecedent and consequent [repeated for a final melodic cadence on Eb]:

Ant ecedent Consequent .

discussion of symmetrical features of the quartet.)

contain mainly intervals of P4, filled in as scalar tetrachords.

(in the consequent).

connection seems to be a credible possibility.

Scherzo, mm. 3 ff, albeit with a clear sense of secondary harmony.

Symmetrical Tonal Relations Within Movements

stays in each key:

Exposition (mm. 1-74): Eb–[Cm]–Gm  G

[Figures in brackets are of a more transitory nature. For a

elaborate tonicization of the dominant.

C#m E-B7-E Ab-Eb-Ab

bouncing entrance of the Scherzo the more surprising.

establishing itself in the main key of Eb.

||: A :||  ||: A1 :||: A2 :|| br. [br. = Bridge]

P  ||: x:|| br.1 y-x' , br.2 y'-x'' , br.3 y''' ||

Coda  “Multiple-Choice”: reference to P, reference to cadential Br. at the end of

‘descending stairs’ motif.

subdominant (Ab) symmetrically balances against prominence of V in the Scherzo’s cadence.

triumphant V-I cadence.

their interaction with the context in which they have appeared.

manifestations of prevailing triple meters, in contrasting juxtaposition and/or combination with

There is a multitude of related motivic material in this ever-evolving composition, which

Composition as a Reflection of Its Own Creation

artist’s self-portrait, showing himself at work before a mirror.

musical and formal decision with a functional value.

To Beethoven, however, such self-reflections would find such significance and

biographies of the composer.

Late Quartets and the Architecture of Gaudi

A comparative study between the architecture of Beethoven’s compositions and Antonio

Gaudi’s constructions seems to be promising on many levels. One prominent feature of

put it succinctly, an interest in suspended structures.

an apparently unsupported, suspended architectural ornament. In the case of Beethoven, such

and with equal weight, the Exposition of the Grosse Fugue.)

The Symbolic World of Op. 127: a Question

are other layer or layers of extra-musical connotation, or to put it differently, a symbolic

composer himself and perhaps his circle of acquaintances.

rituals.” [cf. Solomon (2003), p. 152.]

end of his life.

In regards to his music, Solomon prescribes caution in drawing conclusions: “Whether

specific musical patterns or motifs in Beethoven’s instrumental music can be interpreted as

characteristic-style topics or tropes drawn from an available vocabulary of Masonic music as is

teneramente (tenderly) descent are symbolic representations of the triumphant conclusion of a

reconstruction of a symbolic shape in the Masonic tradition?

As Solomon suggests (ibid, p. 145) a triangular shape found in a Beethoven letter

angles, which is also a universal emblem of Freemasonry, symbolizing morality, truthfulness,

structure of the quartet.

pillar construction, as now a climactic moment of a [right?] triangle, in a stand-up position is

appears in a wailing Gm.