String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130 and Great Fugue , Op. 133 by Ludwig van Beethoven
- Urtext edition by Rainer Cadenbach
Includes violin I, vioin II, viola, and cello parts (no score)
Violin I: 35 pages; Violin II: 27 pages; Viola: 26 pages; Cello: 22 pages
The ending of this highly expressive work, at whose centre is the famous Cavatina, was originally the Grand Fugue. Yet a contemporary critic felt that this was unintelligible. At the urging of the publisher Beethoven replaced it with a newly composed finale and published the Grand Fugue with a new opus number. Ever since, it has often been performed separately. In order to respect the desire of modern ensembles to be able to perform the Quartet op. 130 in Beethoven's original version, the Grand Fugue is included in this edition.
