Awe and wonder. These are not uncommon responses to the works of Schubert and Beethoven, but their string quintets never fail to elicit such a reaction.
We find grandeur in both - monumental works of chamber music and perennial favourites of audiences - and yet they are modestly proportioned. Majesty and intimacy simultaneously.
Schubert’s career was marked by admiration for Beethoven and his desire to match the heights achieved by his hero. In his “perfect” Quintet, probably the best long-form piece of chamber music ever written, he achieved that goal.
Composed in the final weeks of his far too short life, the writing is symphonic, alluding to far more harmonic colours than had ever been thought possible for an ensemble of this size. The use of two cellos was revolutionary and gave him scope for exploration of tone and texture.
Schubert was at his most touching and ephemeral in major keys, and this star-studded ACO ensemble will take you on a soulful journey through sadness, fear, contemplation and joy, with a melodic richness reflecting Schubert’s status as one of the great writers of song.
It’s the intimate and the grand brilliantly merged.
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ACO STUDIOCASTS
Schubert's String Quintet in C major, D.956 features in the ACO StudioCast Schubert's Quintet.
Schubert's Quintet will premiere at 8pm AEST, Wednesday 15th September, 2021, and will be available for subscribers to watch on demand until 11:59pm AEDT Friday 31st December, 2021.
