Beethoven's string quartets have long been held up as the pinnacle of chamber music: their fertility, complexity, depth and range mark them out as amongst the greatest of all musical creations. Yet they are also elusive, slippery works of art.

In his new book, David Vernon - author of Disturbing the Universe: Wagner's Musikdrama and Beauty and Sadness: Mahler's 11 Symphonies - explores these exquisite and challenging pieces, probing their integrity and individuality while also placing the quartets within the context of Beethoven's life and other music, especially his symphonies and piano sonatas.

A chapter is devoted to each work, with an in-depth essay followed by detailed movement-by-movement guides, revealing where they came from, how they are put together - and why they remain so relevant and celebrated today.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOHN SIMPSON