Beethoven's String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 (1826) is not only firmly a part of the scholarly canon, the performing canon, and the pedagogical canon, but also makes its presence felt in popular culture, notably in film (for example, A Late Quartet, 2012). Yet in recent times, theterms in which the C-sharp minor quartet is discussed and presented tend to undermine the multivalent nature of the work. Although it is held up as a masterpiece, Op. 131 has often been understood in monochrome terms, as a work portraying tragedy, struggle, and loss. Beethoven's String Quartet inC-sharp Minor, Op. 131 by Nancy November takes the modern-day listener well beyond these categories of adversity or deficit. It goes back to early reception documents, including Beethoven's own writings about the work, to help the listener reinterpret and re-hear it. This book reveals the diverse musical ideas present in Op. 131 and places the work in the context of an emerging ideology of silent or 'serious' listening in Beethoven's Europe. It considers how this particular 'late' quartet could speak with special eloquence to a highly select but passionatelyenthusiastic audience, and examines how and why the reception of Op. 131 has changed so profoundly from Beethoven's time to our own. | Beethoven's String Quartet In C-sharp Minor Op. 131 by Nancy November, Paperback | Indigo Chapters