Beethoven: The String Quartets

by David Vernon

'[An] extraordinary and exciting book' — John Simpson

'Wonderful … driven by deep love and an infectious sense of wonder …
a different kind of Beethoven book.' — Strings

'Love for this music shines through on every page – if you or someone you know is a Beethoven fan, this is the book for them.' — Dr Leah Broad, author of How Four Women Changed the Musical World

Beethoven’s string quartets have long been held up as the pinnacle of chamber their fertility, complexity, depth and range mark them out as amongst the greatest of all musical creations. Yet they are also elusive, slippery works of art.

In his new book, David Vernon – author of Disturbing the Wagner’s Musikdrama and Beauty and Mahler’s 11 Symphonies – explores these exquisite and challenging pieces, probing their integrity and individuality while also placing the quartets within the context of Beethoven’s life and other music, especially his symphonies and piano sonatas.

A chapter is devoted to each work, with an in-depth essay followed by detailed movement-by-movement guides, revealing where they came from, how they are put together – and why they remain so relevant and celebrated today.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOHN SIMPSON

Genres: Music

440 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2023

Reviews

[Neil Fulwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erudite without being pretentious, learned without being dustily academic, philosophical without being obfuscatory, Vernon’s wonderful book whirls the reader through Beethoven’s sixteen string quartets, locating them in every possible context - social, political, religious, historical, contemporary - as well as rigorously exploring their relationship to the rest of Beethoven’s oeuvre. Vernon comes across as a polymath, an intellectual and a man of culture. That he also demonstrates wit, warmth and humanity is the icing on the cake. ‘Beethoven: the String Quartets’ is the kind of book that sets the gold standard for non-fiction.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Vernon's Beethoven: The String Quartets is a wonderful book that provides colorful and imaginative descriptions of the music within the context of Beethoven's life and composing career. He has a vivid ability to create almost a screenplay in the mind to describe the music while including some technical detail, most often outlining the various keys Beethoven used. The book is beautifully written with evocative language that makes the music come alive. I found it very useful to listen to the music as I read along.

I only have two quibbles: First, Vernon seems too quick to use pain as a metaphor, particularly for slower passages. To be sure, Beehoven's life was not easy as he dealt with increasing deafness, a variety of health issues, and a tense relationship with his nephew, particularly by the time was composing his late quartets. Doubtless, much of that would filter into the music. But sometimes a piece can be slow and beautiful for its own sake, not as an outlet for personal discomfort.

Second, Venon occasionally veers toward ahistorical comparisons, mostly with the music of Wagner and Mahler (about whom he has also written books). There are moments when he almost seems to suggest that Beethoven was drawing from or gesturing to works by these later composers. Undeniably, they and probably every other composer who came after Beethoven was influenced directly or indirectly by the master, but it seems far-fetched to think that he had any inkling about the music that would come much later.

As I said, though, these are only minor quibbles. I highly recommend this book.

N.B.: Reading Beethoven: The String Quartet has the side effect of causing passages of Beethoven's music to run through the reader's head. This is not a bad thing....