Schubert - Quintet in C major D956 Op. posth. 163
Allegro ma non troppo
Adagio
Scherzo: Presto – Trio: Andante sostenuto
Allegretto
Schubert's Quintet in C D956 was composed in the summer of 1828 just two months before his death. Its first performance took place in November 1850 in Vienna. This work is widely acknowledged as one of the finest pieces in the chamber music repertoire. At nearly an hour in duration it is also unsually long.
The instrumentation is unconventional, as string quintets are usually scored for string quartet with an additional viola. The addition of a second cello gives extra weight to the ensemble sound, and allows the first cello part to play a more melodic role than is often the case in string quartets.
The opening Allegro ma non troppo is built on three theme groups: the quiet violin theme heard at the very beginning, an extended duet for the two cellos, and a little march figure for all five instruments. It is the march tune that dominates the development section; the recapitulation is an almost literal repeat of the opening section, and a brief coda brings the movement to its close.
The opening of the Adagio is remarkable: the three middle voices— second violin, viola, and first cello—sing a gentle melody that stretches easily over 28 bars; the second cello accompanies them with pizzicato notes, while high above, the first violin decorates the melody with quiet interjections of its own. The middle section, in F minor, feels agitated and dark; a trill leads back to the opening material, but now the two outer voices accompany the melody with runs and swirls that have suddenly grown complex.
In the third movement the bounding Scherzo, with its hunting horn calls, is fairly straightforward, but the unusual trio is in some ways the emotional centre of the entire Quintet. Although it is a thematic extension of the scherzo, the gentle trio is in the unexpected key of D flat major. Schubert sets it in 4/4 instead of the expected 3/4, and its lean lines and harmonic surprises give it a grieving quality that is quite different from the scherzo. The lament concludes, and the music plunges back into sunlight as the Scherzo resumes.
Many have heard Hungarian folk music in the opening of the Allegretto, with its evocation of wild gypsy fiddling. The second theme is one of those graceful little tunes that only Schubert could write; both themes figure throughout the movement, until finally another cello duet leads to a fiery coda ingeniously employing both main themes. (Sources: Wikipedia & the Strathmore Arts Center)