String Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D.471 (parts); Franz Schubert

String Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D.471 for violin, viola, and cello (parts) by Franz Schubert

Published by International

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.

Early in his career, Schubert made several attempts at writing a string trio-with such a stripped-down instrumentation, it is one of the most exacting and challenging chamber genres for a composer; thus, he only completed one trio but left several substantial fragments. One of these is his Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D.471, which exists only as a complete first movement, effectively a miniature divertimento. It is light and breezy, a testament to Schubert's melodic gift. Parts only. Intermediate-advanced level, Grade 4.