String Quartet No. 15 (Beethoven)

The Quartet in A minor, Op. 132, by Ludwig van Beethoven, was written in 1825, given its public premiere on November 6 of that year by the Schuppanzigh Quartet and was dedicated to Count Nikolai Galitzin, as were Opp. 127 and 130. The number traditionally assigned to it is based on the order of its publication; it is actually the thirteenth quartet in order of composition.

The five movements of the quartet are:

The slow introduction to the first movement, like that of the thirteenth quartet, is based on a motif that recurs throughout the late quartets and in the Große Fuge as well: the second tetrachord of the harmonic minor scale. The movement's unusual structure was described by composer Roger Sessions as more of a triple exposition than a normal sonata form. With three statements of exposition material (including recap), it mimics the repeat seen in classical sonata form expositions, but adds the extra interest of a presentation in a different key and different registral possibilities.

This movement is in a very modified sonata form.

Exposition #1 (mm. 1–74)

1st tonal area, (A minor; mm. 1–29)

Transition

2nd tonal area, (F major; mm. 48–58)

Closing (mm. 59–74)

Note: There is no repeat.

Pseudo Development (mm. 75–102) Understanding where we will eventually arrive (not at the recap), we can call this section transitional material, even though some motives are developed.

Exposition #2 (mm. 103–192) This is almost exactly the same as the first exposition, except transposed into E minor, with C major as the second tonal area.

Recapitulation (mm. 193–231) A shorter version of the original exposition, in the tonic key.

Coda (mm. 232-end) A pedal point on E (V of A minor), using violin I's open E string, leads into the final cadence at measure 264.

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