In 1817 Franz Schubert wrote the song "Die Forelle (The Trout)", which tells the tale of a happy little fish who is tricked by a determined fisherman. The song was soon an enormous hit, despite the fact that none of Schubert's music had ever been published; the music had to be distributed and copied all by hand.

In 1819, Schubert and a friend of his spent their summer holiday in the quaint village of Steyr, 90 miles north of Vienna. "At the house where I lodge," wrote Schubert in a letter, "there are eight girls, nearly all pretty. As you see, I shall not be bored..." Besides these eight girls, Steyr was also home to the wealthy musical patron Sylvester Paumgartner. Paumgartner often held musical gatherings at his large home, so he was familiar with Schubert's music even before the composer even came for his vacation.

Wanting a piece that could be played by himself and his friends, Paumgartner asked Schubert to write a piece that could be played by a group of piano, violin, viola, cello, and bass. Furthermore, he asked that the piece incorporate "Die Forelle" in some way. Cheered by the fresh summer weather, the beautiful countrysie, and (perhaps) the attentions of the eight girls, Schubert began writing his chamber masterpiece. He completed the work upon returning to Vienna, and though it was not published until after his lifetime, we remember it today as one of the undisputably greatest chamber pieces ever written.

RealAudio Performance:

Hear the Entire Piece

Analysis:

The analysis of this piece has been split up by movement:

• 1) Allegro vivace
• 2) Andante
• 3) Scherzo. Presto
• 4) Theme & Variations: Andantino
• 5) Finale. Allegro guisto

User Submissions:

Here's what others have had to say about this piece... Press here if you want to add to this discussion.

Name: Marko
E-mail:
Date: Wednesday, March 7, 2001 at 18:37:24
Text: There are a few composers, who wrote music with such an ease, let's just mention two most well-known Mozart and Rossini. Their music is floating and sweet. But unlike Mozart and Rossini, which music is sweet as sugar, Schubert's music is sweet as honey - there is something unexplainable more to it. "Forellenquintett" is a finest example of this. BTW, as far as I known, Steyr is east and not north from Vienna.

• Franz Schubert Info
• Other Works by Schubert

Return to the previous page