Beethoven's Eyeglass Duo For Violin and Viola

Beethoven’s "Eyeglass Duo" is a playful and lighthearted chamber work for viola and cello. It offers a rare glimpse into the composer's "unbuttoned" sense of humor and his personal life in Vienna. The Eyeglass Duo a isplayful and lighthearted chamber work for viola and cello. It offers a rare glimpse into the composer's "unbuttoned" sense of humor and his personal life in Vienna.The piece gets its unusual name from a humorous note Beethoven scrawled on the manuscript: "mit zwei obligaten Augengläsern" (with two obligatory eyeglasses) It consists of two completed movements: a lively Allegro and a Minuetto with a Trio. There is evidence he may have planned a full four-movement work, but the other movements remain incomplete or lost.The two instruments are treated as absolute equals, frequently trading themes and engaging in a "chasing" or canonic dialogue.