The difficulty which presents itself in discussing Beethoven’s chamber music is that one is embarrassed by the wealth of material which presents itself on all hands, for although he wrote less in quantity than many of the classical masters, nearly every work is remarkable, and there is little or nothing that can come under the term “padding.” This is no doubt to be accounted for by the slow, yet sure, way in which he worked. His sketch-books show this clearly. Some melodies, which seem to us so entirely spontaneous, as, for example, the slow movement of the C minor Symphony, and the opening of the song “Adelaida,” are found in these sketch-books in many forms, and were many times altered before he was satisfied, and the final form decided on. [Sidenote: =Beethoven’s First and Last Compositions=] Save some piano pieces which he did not think important enough to deserve an opus number, his first published compositions were in chamber music form. They are the three well-known Trios, op. 1, for violin, ’cello, and piano, and the fine Trio, op. 3, in E♭, for violin, viola, and ’cello. His last compositions also were in this form—namely, the String Quartetts already mentioned, whose meaning is only now beginning to be comprehended by musicians generally. His actually final work was the movement which now concludes the Quartett in B♭, op. 130. This work originally finished with an elaborate fugue, but Beethoven was prevailed upon (it is said by Artaria, the publisher) to substitute for it the present allegro, a movement which in its sprightly and almost joyous character, and the clearness with which it is worked out, forms a remarkable contrast to the fugue. Yet he wrote it under the influence of very unpleasant domestic circumstances, and also what was always very trying to him, while confined to the house (his brother’s, at Gneixendorf) by rainy weather! Thus we see that he began and ended his career with chamber music. Schumann, than whom it would be difficult to quote a higher authority, says of these last String Quartetts: “They appear to me to reach the extremest limits of human art and fancy yet attained.” Of the earlier String Quartetts it is hardly necessary to speak at any length, as they are as familiar as household words to all who take their music seriously. To the four published as op. 18, this remark specially applies. But while this is so, no familiarity can alter the fact that they are among the most charming and technically perfect things which music has produced. That in F major, op. 59, too, is among the well-known ones, for who does not love its dainty allegretto (quoted below), one of the most remarkable of Beethoven’s scherzando movements? [Music: BEETHOVEN, OP. 59, NO. 1.] [Sidenote: =Musical Humour=]