The Aesthetic of Excess: Plasticity and Expression in the Adagio of Beethoven's String Quartet, op. 127

Judith Ofcarcik, Fort Hays University

The variation-form slow movement of Beethoven's Op. 127 String Quartet is commonly cited as uniquely expressive among works from Beethoven's late period, with published comments tending towards broad expressive interpretations rather than close readings of musical details. This paper provides a close analysis of the movement focusing on instances of plasticity, or conflict among multiple musical parameters resulting in a "flexible" musical surface, and the ways in which this plasticity contributes to an expressive narrative centered on the transcendent and sublime. Frank Samarotto first proposed temporal plasticity as a characteristic of Beethoven's late music, but plasticity in this movement is not limited to the temporal domain.2 In this paper I will explore plasticity in multiple domains including temporality, phrase structure, and formal function. Plasticity in this movement is often tied to instances of "musical excess," or events that surpass expectations set by the genre, style, and individual work. The invocation of excess reflects a flexible approach to musical form and content that contributes to the enigmatic expressivity of both this movement and other variation movements from Beethoven's late period.