The String Quartets Of Beethoven -

: Commissioned by the Russian ambassador, these works were so revolutionary that contemporary players initially found them "incomprehensible" or even a joke.

: While they adhere to traditional formal rules and emotional restraint, they already hint at his future "heroic" voice. Key Works : The String Quartets of Beethoven

: Notable for its slow movement, which Beethoven reportedly inspired by the tomb scene in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet . : Commissioned by the Russian ambassador, these works

These works were written during a period of intense productivity and personal crisis as Beethoven's deafness worsened. : Commissioned by the Russian ambassador