Beethoven the Master

You know you just experience a truly amazing performance when three hours afterwards, you suddenly break down in tears for no apparent reason.

This is exactly what happened to me the other night, after I heard a performance of Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15 (Op. 132) by Takacs String Quartet. In my opinion, Takacs is possibly the greatest quartet in the world at this moment. Their elegance, the way they gel to create a truly original and deep string sound that is unmatched, their diversity, the pure and sometimes almost painful emotion they create during a performance; it all comes together to create something that might even be considered spiritual in its quality. Especially when their mastery is combined with the brilliance of Beethoven. Something I am coming to realize is that there are many pieces in the world that can bring tears to your eyes during the actual performance. This is one of the great joys of music: that one can experience all realms of emotion for the length of the piece, and then be on your way. Beethoven, though, is one of the few composers in the world who manages to catch your attention and your soul during the performance, but the full impact of his music refuses to hit you until you are most susceptible to it: sometime after the performance. This is exactly what happened to me. I was doing nothing significant, but suddenly I began feeling an excruciating emotional pain that I was unfamiliar with. Tears filled my eyes and cheeks for reasons I could not understand. Beethoven and performance of his music had left such an impact on me that it took several hours for my mind and soul to consider its full extent and find a way to cope. So much does this encourage my belief in music, and the power therein.

-Phil