Piano Quintet in A Major, D.667 ''Trout'' (parts and piano score) by Franz Schubert
Urtext edition by Wiltrud Haug-Frienstein. Published by Henle
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic Era and generally considered one of the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music. Despite his early death at age 31, he was remarkably prolific, leaving behind a vast oeuvre of over 1500 compositions, with over 600 art songs at its center. He left his mark on all genres, including--most consequentially for string players--on chamber music. His individual style grew out of the influences of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven and was characterized by a mastery of melodic writing as well as formal experimentation and significant harmonic innovation.
One of Schubert's most beloved chamber works is his Piano Quintet in A Major, D.667 ''Trout'' (1819), using his song of the same name as the basis for a theme-and-variations movement. Following the convention of salon quintets of the time, he scored it for the now-unusual ensemble of violin, viola, cello, bass, and piano. Contrary to his later masterpieces of the chamber genre, it is a rather light, genial, and uncomplicated piece. This Henle urtext edition includes all parts and piano score. Advanced level, Grade 5.