FOLIO: String Quartet No. 1, Mvt. 1

3 Clarinets and Bass Clarinet
Compositionally, this work is best aligned with the string quartets of Mozart and Haydn – two of Beethoven’s largest influences; however, a seasoned listener can feel his strain against the established norms of the classical period. The opening motive of the first movement is a six-note turn that was originally heard over 130 times throughout the movement. The composer later scaled this number down to 109 in subsequent revisions. It follows closely to a sonata allegro form and, with the exception of his typical dramatic dynamic changes, follows the patterns established by his predecessors.