Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5 (1798-1800)

The first movement Allegro is bright, bold and luxuriant. The part writing is superb with a variety of textures from the delicate single instrument imitative lines à la Mozart to the husky two-part canonic pairings of Beethoven. Strong dynamic contrasts, dense worried filigree and stabbing accents project a touch of anxious mania that might have riled the more conservative listener of the time. The Menuetto is light and lilting, a sure homage to Mozart compared with Beethoven's more muscular scherzi. The part writing is delicate and agile while the dramatic use of silence, aborted phrases and off beat accents is signature Beethoven. The trio in particular evokes a kind of rustic folk dance that could only have been Mozart if he were wearing wooden clogs.
Beethoven was undoubtedly the greatest master of the theme and variations of all time eventually leaving Haydn and Mozart far behind by comparison. What is remarkable is how he can eventually make so much out of so little. The third movement begins modestly (almost blandly) but ends with an explosion of fireworks with some rich contrasts along the way. And here the connection with Mozart is not as much the A major quartet as Mozart's sublime Divertimento for string trio, K. 563. The remarkable transformation through variation is remarkably similar and, clearly, Mozart did it first. But Beethoven adds a brilliant coda for a much more interesting conclusion than simply one final variation. Many commentators suggest that the forth movement finale is perhaps the most Mozartian of the quartet due to the musical materials, Beethoven's deft handling of counterpoint and the relatively calm and gracious ending. But it is all in how the movement is played: a performance can steer the music toward either composer, both of whom had a great ability for tensile, mercurial drama with a kind of shimmering nervousness shot through with electric synaptic responses. The choice of tempo, dynamics and how strongly contrasts are placed in relief can make the difference between gallant elegance and a nascent driving romanticism.