3/9 String Quartet Op.130 (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 130 has the distinction of having had the "Grosse Fuge" as it's original ending, and then having that shortly replaced with a new final movement, which also happens to be B.'s last completed work.  For those reasons it's very much an "omega" work.  One thing that always amazes me about the new finale is that it's so joyful and "peppy".  At this time B. must have suspected that he wouldn't live much longer - he was trying to recover from a long-term illness during it's composition.  Also he was completely deaf, and his nephew Karl had just tried to commit suicide, blaming B. for driving him to such an extreme.  He was staying at his brother Johann's with whom he had had many rows, composing a work in response to public rejection of one of his most ambitious works.  It could not have been a happy time.  Nonetheless, the music of this "replacement movement" is vivacious.  I wonder if composing such contrary music was a method of self-therapy?  Let there be Light!

String Quartet Opus 130 (Final Version)
Guarneri Quartet
I. Adagio ma non troppo (0:00)
II. Presto (D♭) (13:40)
III. Andante con moto ma non troppo (B♭ minor) (15:36)
IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai (G) (23:01)
V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo (E♭) (26:47)
VI. Finale. Allegro (33:50)

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CHANNEL LINK (Click here to see this video on my YT Channel.  Once there, click on "(more info)" and then you can view the video in place, while scrolling through the text below)

I. Adagio ma non troppo/Allegro

--Exposition:

• Introduction, part I (BROWN)
• Introduction: part II
• 1st Theme, part I (MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part I (return)
• 1st Theme, part II
• 2nd Theme (DARK BLUE)
• 2nd Theme: development
• 3rd Theme (OLIVE)

--Exposition (Repeat):

• Introduction, part I (LIGHT BROWN)
• Introduction: part II
• 1st Theme, part I (LIGHT MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part I (return)
• 1st Theme, part II
• 2nd Theme (LIGHT BLUE)
• 2nd Theme: development
• 3rd Theme (LIGHT OLIVE)

--Development: 

• First part: based on Introduction (VIOLET)
• Second part: based on 1st Theme

--Recapitulation:

• 1st Theme, part I (MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part II (variation)
• 2nd Theme (variation) (DARK BLUE)
• 2nd Theme (return)
• 3rd Theme (return)
• Coda (VIOLET)

II. Presto (starting from 13:40)

• A (GREEN)
• B (BLUE)
• Transition (PURPLE)
• A (Return) (GREEN)

III. Andante con moto ma non troppo (starting from 15:36)

Exposition

• Introduction (BROWN)
• 1st Theme (MAROON)
• Transition (OLIVE)
• 2nd Theme (BLUE)
• 1st Theme (Variation) (MAROON)
• 3rd Theme (VIOLET)

Exposition Repeat

• Introduction (LIGHT BROWN)
• 1st Theme (LIGHT MAROON)
• Transition (LIGHT OLIVE)
• 2nd Theme (LIGHT BLUE)
• 1st Theme (Variation) (LIGHT MAROON)
• 3rd Theme (LIGHT VIOLET)

• Coda (OLIVE)
• 3rd Theme (VIOLET)
• 3rd Theme: Development

IV. Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai (starting from 23:01)

A: 

• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part II (LIGHT BLUE)

B: 

• 1st Theme (GREEN)

A:

• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, parts I and II (variation) (LIGHT BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part I (fragmented variation) (LIGHT BLUE)

V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo (starting from 26:47)

1st Theme, part I (GREEN)

1st Theme, part II

1st Theme (return)

2nd Theme (BLUE)

2nd Theme (return)

3rd Theme (VIOLET)

1st Theme, part I (return) (GREEN)

1st Theme, part II (return)

VI. Finale, Allegro (starting from 33:50)

Exposition

• 1st Theme (MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (GREEN)

Exposition Repeat

• 1st Theme (repeat) (MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (repeat) (BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (repeat) (GREEN)

Development (PURPLE)

Recapitulation

• 1st Theme (return) (LIGHT MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (return) (LIGHT BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (return) (LIGHT GREEN)
• Development (return) (LIGHT PURPLE)

• Coda (BROWN)

(form analysis from Alan Rich's "Play by Play")

And finally my sequenced "Rock" arrangement for those who like guitars, organ, bass and drums...if you're ambitious you could theoretically play both at the same time...maybe not.

 I. 0:04, II. 11:13, III. 13:17

IV. 19:00, V. 21:50,  VI. 29:01