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Beethoven: Grosse Fuge for String Quartet in B Major, Op. 133

DW staff (nh/kjb)September 25, 2008

With its intervallic jumps, bizarre rhythms and dense polyphonies, Beethoven's Grosse Fuge, or "massive fugue," is one of his most radical works.

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Gewandhaus Quartet
The Gewandhaus Quartet has existed, in various formations, for two centuriesImage: Beethovenfest

It was originally intended to serve as the last movement of his Op. 130 quartet, but Beethoven later opted for a much shorter finale, leaving the Grosse Fuge to stand alone.

The Gewandhaus Quartet from Leipzig -- the world's oldest continuous string quartet -- performed the work in the chamber music hall next to Beethoven's birth house as part of the 2008 Beethovenfest in Bonn.