The String Quartet No. 13 by Beethoven was completed in 1825, and though traditionally assigned the number 13, it was the 14th quartet in order of composition. Its original form consisted of six movements totalling approximately 50 minutes. After the work's first performance, mixed reactions and his publisher's suggestion convinced Beethoven to substitute a different final movement, one much shorter and lighter than the enormous Große Fuge. This new finale was written in 1826 and is thus the last substantial piece of composition Beethoven completed before his death, and he never witnessed it. The original finale was then published separately. Modern performances sometimes follow the composer's original intentions, leaving out the substitute finale and concluding with the fugue. The Cavatina (by the Budapest String Quartet) is the last piece on the Voyager Golden Record.
