String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op.127 (parts) by Ludwig van Beethoven
Urtext edition by Emil Platen. Published by Henle
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was the most influential and admired composer of the Romantic Era, and is considered today to be among the greatest composers of classical music to ever live. His music is known variously for its compositional rigor, sublime beauty, organic development, gripping urgency, and life-affirming, universal humanism. He left a significant mark on almost every classical genre he worked in, from string quartets to symphonies.
Beethoven's cycle of sixteen string quartets spans his entire compositional career and is often considered to be the most significant ever composed. Quartet No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op.127 was his return to the form after a 10-year absence and the first of his last quartet, which reached a zenith of expression, complexity, and originality in his output. When the quartet was premiered in 1825, audiences were taken aback by his modern, complex style. It was soon regarded as a masterpiece, however-- Robert Schumann, wrote that it, along with Op.131, stands ''on the extreme boundary of all that has hitherto been attained by human art and imagination.'' This Henle urtext edition was edited by Emil Platen. Parts only. Master level, grade 6.
