Ludwig van Beethoven’s quartets followed in the direct lineage of Haydn and Mozart. From that background he developed this genre of music to the point where many consider it reached its peak of perfection. In the group of three quartets dedicated to Prince Razumovsky, Beethoven brought drama, strength and power to quartet writing. His later Opus 74 quartet, whose elegant pizzicato passages earned it the nickname ‘harp quartet’, briefly saw a return to a more relaxed and charming style.