The heart of Beethoven's Quartet op. 132 is the Holy song of thanksgiving, in which Beethoven takes up old counterpoint techniques and Gregorian simplicity. In this unusually beautiful and well preserved manuscript, Beethoven generously makes the most of the space on its pages. The lavish four colour printing allows the composer's occasionally unconventional manner of notation to come to life. It permits a unique insight into the creative process, which continued after it had been written down in the form of multiple additions and changes. The edition is rounded off with a preface by the pianist András Schiff, with whose generous support this valuable facsimile was made possible.