The following metronome markings for Beethoven’s late quartets might be of interest to some of you; As mentioned in the blog post “How Fast Shall We Play?”, Beethoven never provided metronome markings for his last quartets, but Rudoph Kolisch, one of the most prominent chamber musicians of the 20th century, and also an academic and a teacher, analysed more or less all of Beethoven’s music, and the relationship between Beethoven’s metronome markings, his tempo indications and the nature of the music, and came up with the following provisional suggestions:
Op. 127
Allegro (3/4) Crotchet = 168
Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile (12/8) Dotted crotchet = 30
Scherzando vivace (3/4) Crotchet = 200
Finale (Alla breve) Minim = 120
Op. 130, Op. 133
Allegro (C) Crotchet = 126
Presto (Alla breve) Minim = 184
Andante con moto, ma non troppo. Poco scherzoso (C) Crotchet = 63
Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai (3/8) Dotted crotchet = 72
Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo (3/4) Crotchet = 36
Grosse Fuge. Overtura. Allegro (6/8) Dotted crotchet = 144-152
- Meno mosso e moderato (2/4) Crotchet = 100
- Allegro (C) Crotchet = 144-152
- Meno mosso e moderato (2/4) Crotchet = 96
- Allegro molto e con brio (6/8) Dotted crotchet = 152
Finale. Allegro (2/4) Crotchet = 120
Op. 131
Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo (Alla breve) Minim = 30
Allegro molto vivace (6/8) Dotted crotchet = 152
Allegro moderato (C) “senza tempo”
Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile (2/4) Crotchet = 56
Presto (Alla breve) Semi-breve = 132
Adagio quasi un poco andante (3/4) Crotchet = 60
Allegro (Alla breve) Minim = 120
Op. 132
Allegro (C) Crotchet = 126
Allegro ma non tanto (3/4) Dotted minim = 72
Canzona di ringraziamento. Molto adagio (C) Crotchet = 30
Alla Marcia, assai vivace (C) Crotchet = 168
Allegro appasionato (3/4) Crotchet = 180
Op. 135
Allegretto (2/4) Crotchet = 84
Vivace (3/4) Dotted minim = 108
Lento assai, cantate e tranquillo (6/8) Dotted crotchet = 24
Allegro (Alla breve) Minim = 132
Source: “Tempo and Character in Beethoven’s Music” (Kolisch) (Published in “The Musical Quaterly” 1993, Volume 77, Number 2)