Among Beethoven's string quartets, there are no modest works, only confessions of a composer who seems to be ahead of his time. While the early quartets aim to please with a certain coyness, the middle quartets overwhelm in an unprecedented way, while the late quartets hermetically seal themselves as the final documents of what art is capable of. Manfred Hermann Schmid first introduces Beethoven's essential categories of composition and also addresses Beethoven's societal utopian ideas.

In the main section, the guide to the works, he fascinatingly highlights the uniqueness of each individual movement, which can be found in the form, the treatment of instruments, or repeatedly in the rhythm. Not only through the diversity of ideas but also through the understandable, clear language, the book manages to engage readers.