Title : Schubert: Quintet, op. 114 "The Trout" - Sonata, D. 821 "Arpeggione" / Ax, P. Frank, R. Young, Ma, E. Meyer, Bonney
Author : Franz Schubert
Release Date : 19960123
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $11.98
Amazon.com Price : $9.94
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Editorial Reviews : Schubert wrote the Trout Quintet as a carefree young man still untouched by ill health and poverty; it radiates golden sunshine, confident hope, and high spirits. His earliest large-scale composition, it is among his most popular works. Its variation movement is the first of several in which he used one of his own songs as the theme, and this record includes the song itself--an inspired idea. It also includes the Arpeggione Sonata, the only surviving piece written for that now extinct six-stringed instrument, whose range most closely resembles that of the cello. The performances are all superb, lovely in tone, unanimous in phrasing, articulation, feeling, and spirit. The quintet is lively, simple, exuberant, and expressive; Ax plays his brilliant part with lightness, grace, and virtuosity, but never dominates the ensemble. In the sonata, Ma and Ax capture the dreamy poetry, wistful inwardness, and romantic ardor of this deeply affecting music beautifully. --Edith Eisler
Buyer Reviews : The Trout piano quintet is one of Schubert's most beloved compositions and among the most popular chamber music pieces of all time. It abounds with wonderful melodies uniquely Schubertian, and being a youthful work has a unique exuberance and happinness throughout.
It was a commissioned work, by an amateur musician who apparently was a great admirer of Schubert's earlier simple little song entitled the 'Trout' ( also included on the record). It is not known whether he asked Schubert to include in the commisioned work a reminder of the song or whether this was Schubert's idea of rewarding this early fan. Whatever the origins, the fourth movement is a set of amazing variations on this lovely song. Each variation highlights one of the players, and shows great mastery and imagination of the young composer.
There are many excellent recordings of the Trout, and this is one of them. The playing is excellent with each part lovingly performed. Though Yo Yo Ma is undoubtedly the superstar of this group, this is a group effort, no one's playing outshining any of the others. Overall, a wonderful and satisfying performance.
I doubt that I would have bought this recording if it only contained the Arpeggione Sonata, which follows the quintet on the CD. Yet as soon as it started, I realized that I was listening to an extraordinary performance. This is absolutely superb exquisite cello playing, ably supported by Emannuel Ax's piano. It has quickly become one of my favorite recordings. It's amazing the depth that Yo Yo Ma has brought to this little piece.
The Arpeggione sonata is so called because it was written for the now extinct Arpeggione instrument, which was a cross between a Guitar and a Cello. It's enthusiastic inventor asked Schubert to compose a piece for it, and so this is another comissioned piece by another minor patron of the arts. We should be grateful for these simple folks that loved Schubert's work enough to pay for his compositions, and thus kept the struggling genius from even worse abject poverty in which he lived most of his short life.
The Arpeggione is long dead, and nowadays the sonata is performed mostly on the cello, though there are transcriptions to guitar and other instruments as well.
As I said earlier, Yo Yo Ma and Ax's reading is an absolute delight. His tone is marvelous, the intonation perfect, the phrasing exquisite. It seems just absolutely right at every turn.
Played on the Cello this sonata is a very hard, demanding virtuosistic piece, since the Arpeggione had six strings, and it's highest string was tuned a full fifth higher than the Cello's. Thus the cellist is often faced with playing in the highest reaches of the instrument, and often very demanding passages at that. Yo Yo Ma's playing seems totally effortless in all of this. More importantly, this is no mere fireworks, but instead it is virtuosity always subordinated to the music itself. Ma and Ax find unsuspected depth in this unassuming piece. The slow movement is moving and intimate, beautiful beyond words. Highly recommended.
