BEETHOVEN, Ludvig van (1770-1827). Quintetto Pour 2 Violins, 2 Altos et Violoncelle, [1802], stitched. FIRST EDITION.

BEETHOVEN, Ludvig van (1770-1827).  Quintetto Pour 2 Violins, 2 Altos et Violoncelle composé et dédié à Monsieur le Comte Maurice de Fries. Leipzig: chez Breitkopf et Härtel, [n.d. but December 1802]. 4to (323 x 244mm). Engraved title on upper wrapper, engraved musical notation for the 5 parts (some light spotting and staining, some cropping to pagination). Stitched, unbound as issued. Provenance: the number 53 stamped in a few upper fore-corners [significance unclear]. Provenance: from the Collection of the late Dr Elkan Lewis (1931-2020). FIRST EDITION of the composer's only large-scale work for string quintet. Known as "Der Sturm" (The Storm) on account of its turbulent finale, this transitional work was first performed in 1801 when the composer was confronting the devastating reality of his encroaching deafness. Dorfmüller-Weinhold p.211; Hirsch IV, 267; Hoboken II, 153; Kinsky-Halm 70. Please see lot 558 for another Beethoven-related item.