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| Schubert: Piano Quintet "Trout"; Mozart: Piano Quartet in E flat | 
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| Creators: Amanda Forsyth, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Joel Quarrington, Yefim Bronfman, Jethro Marks, Pinchas Zukerman
Label: RCA
Category: Music
List Price: $16.97
Buy New: $11.49
You Save: $5.48 (32%)
Buy New/Used from $11.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  (2 reviews)
Sales Rank: 90307
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 716044
UPC: 886971604429
EAN: 0886971604429
ASIN: B00164LZ3K
Release Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, D 667/Op. 114 'Trout': 1st movement, Allegro vivace - Franz Schubert | | • | Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, D 667/Op. 114 'Trout': 2nd movement, Andante - Franz Schubert | | • | Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, D 667/Op. 114 'Trout': 3rd movement, Presto - Franz Schubert | | • | Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, D 667/Op. 114 'Trout': 4th movement, Variations - Franz Schubert | | • | Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, D 667/Op. 114 'Trout': 5th movement, Allegro giusto - Franz Schubert | | • | Quartet for Piano and Strings no 2 in E flat major, K 493: Allegro - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | | • | Quartet for Piano and Strings no 2 in E flat major, K 493: Larghetto - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | | • | Quartet for Piano and Strings no 2 in E flat major, K 493: Allegretto - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
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| Customer Reviews:
 Lovely playing, but do we have to stick this close to the center stripe? September 2, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
It's generous of BMG to give us the little-heard Mozart Piano Quartet K. 493, long overshadowed by its complex sibling in G minor, as a filler to the Tourt Quintet. One should also note how beautifully recorded this CD is, making piano and strings sound sweet and natural. The strings are brought forward more than would be heard in the concert hall, but that's actually an advantage of recorings. As for the performances, they are proficient, stylish, and (in the Schubert) decidedly middle-of-the-road.
Bronfman has always struck me as a tasteful, quietly stylish musician, which makes him the natural succossor to Emanuel Ax, I guess, as a Carnegie Hall-PBS favorite. Frankly, I've rarely heard him show much originality or personal daring. His signature is to have no signature. Bronfman plays with a clearn line and springy rhythm here, but the Trout Quintet is among the most joyous chamber works, and Ax himself has recorded a sparkling version with Yo-Yo Ma and buddies on Sony; there's a classic Clifford Curzon version with the Amadeus Qt. that's more moving and humane than any other; and there's a sleeper from James Levine and members of the Berlin Phil. that's full of energy and intensity. By comparison, this new one feels too extroverted and forward.
The real star of this CD is the Mozart, wehre all the players come alive in a way that they do only sporadically in the Schubert. Tempos are less stodgy as well, adding to the light, bright mood of this celebratory work. The flowing Larghetto is a model of refined Mozart playing from Bronfman without becoming precious or tinkly. Only the finale could be a touch more witty and vivacious, but it is marked Allegretto, and the group has gone for the feeling of restrained dance. In all, this is the performance that made me sit up.
Note: The five-star review here is all filler and fluff, so I must congratulate Mr. Kwack -- I mean Kowk -- for finding the formula for becoming a no-threat, no-brainer Top Reviewer.
 Superb Performances of Schubert and Mozart Chamber Works from Bronfman, Zuckerman and Others July 25, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Pianist Yefim Bronfman and violinist Pinchas Zuckerman are joined by three of Zuckerman's colleagues in the Ottawa, Canada-based National Arts Centre Orchestra, in two truly riveting performances of Schubert's "Trout" Piano Quintet and Mozart's Piano Quartet in E Flat. The chemistry amongst the performers is absolutely superb (The other musicians include violist Jethro Marks, cellist Amanda Forsyth and double bassist Joel Quarrington in the Schubert quintet.). This is truly a CD replete with virtuoso music making of the highest order, and though both works have been recorded often, these new recordings are ones that should interest chamber music fans as well as long-time admirers of both Bronfman and Zuckerman. The chemistry amongst this ad hoc chamber music ensemble is superb, reminding me, for example, of either the Beaux Arts Trio at its artistic height, or the Emerson String Quartet. Violist Marks and cellist Forsyth are to be commended especially for their rather exciting, technically brilliant, and quite vibrant, solos in the Schubert "Trout" Piano Quintet, especially in the "Trout" variations comprising this piece's fourth of five movements (There is also, I might add, quite impressive playing too from double bassist Quarrington.).
One of Schubert's best-loved - and, I might add, classical music's too - chamber music pieces, his Piano Quintet in A Major, D667 "The Trout", was also among his earliest, composed in 1819. One of the reasons why it remains so well-loved is the intensely lyrical qualities of this score, which was composed on behalf of a hometown acquaintance, Sylvester Paumgartner, an amateur cellist. It is composed almost in classic sonata form, with Allegro vivace (first), Andante (second), Scherzo: Presto (third), Thema: Andantino - Variazioni I-V - Allegretto (fourth), and Allegro giusto (fifth) movements. As I noted earlier, the fourth movement is composed of a set of variations based on Schubert's lied (song) "The Trout", with notable solo passages from each of the string instruments in the quintet.
Mozart is noted, among his many musical accomplishments, for creating the classical music genre known as the piano quartet. His Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, K493, is a three-movement work comprised of Allegro (first), Largo (second) and Allegretto (third) movements. Composed in 1786, both this quartet and the earlier G minor quartet (K478) are still regarded as masterpieces in this genre. Once more we are treated to exceptional playing from Bronfman, Zuckerman, Marks, and Forsyth; the latter two clearly distinguish themselves as two of the very best North American classical musicians of their respective instruments. Once more we hear exquisite music making of the highest order from these musicians, demonstrating excellent rapport with each other.
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