Schubert Piano Trio Op. 99

[gvans]

Franz Schubert wrote two piano trios during the last year of his short life. Both Op. 99 and Op. 100 have become mainstays of the chamber music repertoire, mentioned in the same breath as the trios of Brahms or Beethoven. The piano part is concerto-esque, and makes one wonder what Schubert might have done had he lived longer (piano concertos? piano quartets? another quintet?).

Although his music doesn't sound difficult per se, Schubert did most of his composing away from the piano. His bohemian lifestyle left him lacking the means to own or even rent one, and he actually preferred working without one, using a friend's instrument if he needed it. Perhaps as a result, the piano parts do not fit the hand well (they come from his brain), and, although they sound wonderful they can be quite hard to perform. The string players report the same strange phenomenon.

We played our first performance of the piece May 18, and here it is. Thanks in advance for listening, and for your comments.

[cometear]

I really like your playing! As for the string players, eh... ya know

[rachfan]

Hi gvans,

This performance is quite good in my opinion.  The piano, of course, is the fixed pitch to which the string players must tune.  I doubt there was any problem with tuning open strings.  During the performance, however, there were just a few moments where the cello and violin seemed a bit sour relative to one another, but mostly early in the performance.  That might have been a bit of nervousness, which is actually desirable in live performance to avoid over-confidence.  Once the players were fully acclimated and enjoying themselves, it was fully harmonious.   You played the piano part very well despite the demands of the score. One could certainly tell that the musicians were enjoying their music making!    

David  

[gvans]

Hi David,

Thanks for your comments. Yes, the opening could have been better, ensemble-wise, but as you said, things settled down along with the butterflies. Many thanks for listening!

Schubert is difficult, as his melodic lines are long and his music requires lots of concentration to maintain focus over the "heavenly length," (Robert Schumann's phrase). I learned a lot, though playing this trio, and recommend it as one of the finest chamber music pieces I've played.

Glenn