Beethoven's String Quartet No. 16 in F major (Opus 135) was written in 1826 and was the last substantial work he finished (only the replacement last movement of the Quartet Op. 130 was written later. It is on a smaller scale and less revolutionary than his other late quartets. Under the slow chords in the last movement Beethoven wrote in the manuscript "Muss es sein?" (Must it be?) to which he responds, with the chipper main theme theme of the movement, "Es muss sein!" (It must be!)
I. Allegretto II. Vivace III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo IV. Grave ma troppo tratto - Allegro
- See also : Beethoven
