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Trout Quintet - Schubert (1819)
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Piano Quintet in A major D667, "Trout"

The Quintet in A major was written when Schubert was spending a vacation in a guest house in Steyr (Austria) with his good friend Vogl. The beauty of this quintet was already revealed in its first performance and it became very popular among chamber music audiences ever-since.

Arttoday.com copyright© 2001 ArtToday.com, Inc. All Rights ReservedThe work received its nickname for its fourth movement, the one which Schubert based it on the melody of one his own songs, "Die Forelle" ("The Trout"). The popular tune of the famous lied did not leave many options as to the title of this lovely quintet. It is important, however, to remember that the work is not a programme piece and it has no extra-musical mentioning, other than the title it was given.

The ensemble for which the quintet was written is not at all ordinary: a piano, a violin, a cello and a double bass. Some historians argue that it was ordered by a violinist who loved "Die Forelle", so much, that he wanted a chamber piece based on it. The fourth movement was indeed based on this lied (German song), and it includes a series of variations on the lied's melody.

The three first movements are a kind of preparation for this movement, but the fifth movement is a summary of the entire work, full of optimism and triumphant spirit. This is one of Schubert's calm, worry-free pieces, consisting solely of nature and beauty, and not a hint of sadness or anxiety.
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