10 Pieces of Classical Music About Friendship
by Emily Hogstadt, Interlude Making and having friends is one of the great joys of the human experience. Not surprisingly, many classical composers have been deeply inspired by their friendships with other people, and especially with other creative people. Today, we’re looking at ten pieces of classical music that reflect on composers’ friendships in some way, whether it’s Beethoven ’s dedication of a private string quartet to a friend or Elgar ’s extravagant orchestral puzzle dedicated to his friends. Enjoy! Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 (1810-11) Beethoven’s eleventh quartet was a unique piece from the start: he wrote in a letter to a friend that “The Quartet is written for a small circle of connoisseurs and is never to be performed in public.” In it, Beethoven allowed himself to experiment and take risks. It was written the year after Napoleon invaded Vienna when the routines of people in the city had been shattered, so there weren’t many audience...