“Schubert Marathon” – Part 1

Right at the start of our Schubert marathon, we hear one of the composer’s great masterpieces: known as the Trout Quintet, it is predominantly characterised by cheerfulness and an uninhibited joy in music-making. The piece was commissioned by patron and amateur cellist Silvester Paumgartner, who had requested variations on the theme of Schubert’s famous Goethe song The Trout for piano, string trio and double bass. The thematic work in the tradition of Beethoven takes a back seat here to the unfolding of an almost extravagant wealth of melodies. The five-movement quintet, probably written in 1819 during a stay in Steyr, breathes the spirit of conviviality that is inherent in so many of Schubert’s inspired compositions.

The programme is complemented by two of Schubert’s early string trios and the set of variations “Trockne Blumen” for flute and piano. In the only chamber music work that the composer wrote for the flute, a lyrical mood is combined with high technical demands for both instruments. The theme comes from the song of the same name from Schubert’s song cycle Die schöne Müllerin. In this song, the protagonist remembers a past love. The melancholy tone of the song is intensified by a dramatic introduction, but finally brightens up with a change from minor to major.

Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker

Christophe Horák

Ulrich Knörzer

David Riniker

Janusz Widzyk

Yannick van de Velde

Berlin Philharmonic String Trio

Romano Tommasini

Wolfgang Talirz

Jelka Weber

Marlene Ito

Simon Roturier

Martin von der Nahmer

Knut Weber

Michael Karg