BaL 14.12.19/11.4.20 - Schubert Piano Quintet in A major "The Trout"

[Ein Heldenleben]

Can I go off piste? Can I talk instead about Andante? And to be more precise the 4th Mov't of Schubert's otherwise worthy quintet? Can I use this thread as a confessional?

I hate the Trout theme with a passion. Generally my musical tastes are eclectic, but all this began in my childhood. I was coaxed from the choirstalls to stand up on stage and sing songs. Schubert songs. And I hated them! Hark, hark the lark, Roslein Rot (indeed) , but worst of all the bloody Trout. The Trite Trout as I thought of it. And such an embarrassing English translation.

An angler there was standing
With rod and line in hand;
Intent upon the fishes,
A sportive, fearless band.

When you're TWELVE, for God's sake.

All so very different from hiding behind a copy and belting out Stanford in G or Hear my Prayer.

A psychologist would probably have much to say about this childhood trauma. Luckily as a young adult I was badgered into performing Auf dem Strom for tenor (me) horn and piano. Despite its watery connotations, I loved it, especially as it was now in German, a language I didn't understand. Maybe it was like getting onto a horse again after a nasty riding accident.

The end.

You are not alone. I absolutely adore Schubert but I have a blind spot about Die Forelle both in song and variation format. Also Heidenröslein and the Arpeggione sonata leave me cold .

[vinteuil]

... 'The Trout' is certainly not my favourite Schubert : my childhood trauma was being volunteered as a page-turner for a performance at Lacock Abbey, without agreement having been reached as to which repeats were to be taken...

But such traumas apart - I just think it's a work that is performed too often, and we end up listening lazily. I appreciated this morning's BaL precisely because David Owen Norris made me listen more attentively to certain details - and I think I now need to listen to the work again. I find I have the Hausmusik with Huvé on the shelves, time to get it down.





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[Maclintick]

My problem with this final choice (Hausmusik - period instruments ) is not the playing, nor the flat piano sound , but the fact that it appears to have been recorded in a bathroom

That was also my impression -- there was a debilitating lack of focus on the instruments...

[visualnickmos]

That was also my impression -- there was a debilitating lack of focus on the instruments...

I relented and "listened again" and I agree. All a bit muzzy. I did however, very much warm to the Capuçon brothers' extracts that were played. On my 'must have' list.

[Barbirollians]

I listened to this on the way to Cheltenham - my first BAL for a while.

I felt

1 So few recordings chosen and it seemed anything between 1935 and 1995 not mentioned. I did nip into a service station for about 10 mins but no mention of the classic Curzon/Vienna account. Compare this with his magisterial BAL on Schubet's last piano sonata last year I think.

2 A McG does seem to have stopped interrupting quite so much but they often talked over each other which is just crass poor broadcasting

3 David Owen Norris is highly articulate and voluble - he so does not need prompting by A McG

4 A totally depressing disregard for listeners who play CDs still and don't have Digital downloads - largely older listeners by choosing two versions neither of which are available as CDs . Which considering as Presto lists 107 CDs as including the piece would surely not have been too difficult.

[pastoralguy]

I listened to this on the way to Cheltenham - my first BAL for a while.

I felt

1 So few recordings chosen and it seemed anything between 1935 and 1995 not mentioned. I did nip into a service station for about 10 mins but no mention of the classic Curzon/Vienna account. Compare this with his magisterial BAL on Schubet's last piano sonata last year I think.

2 A McG does seem to have stopped interrupting quite so much but they often talked over each other which is just crass poor broadcasting

3 David Owen Norris is highly articulate and voluble - he so does not need prompting by A McG

4 A totally depressing disregard for listeners who play CDs still and don't have Digital downloads - largely older listeners by choosing two versions neither of which are available as CDs . Which considering as Presto lists 107 CDs as including the piece would surely not have been too difficult.

Yes, I get hacked off with the 'digital only' brigade!

[Stanfordian]

I listened to this on the way to Cheltenham - my first BAL for a while.

I felt

1 So few recordings chosen and it seemed anything between 1935 and 1995 not mentioned. I did nip into a service station for about 10 mins but no mention of the classic Curzon/Vienna account. Compare this with his magisterial BAL on Schubet's last piano sonata last year I think.

2 A McG does seem to have stopped interrupting quite so much but they often talked over each other which is just crass poor broadcasting

3 David Owen Norris is highly articulate and voluble - he so does not need prompting by A McG

4 A totally depressing disregard for listeners who play CDs still and don't have Digital downloads - largely older listeners by choosing two versions neither of which are available as CDs . Which considering as Presto lists 107 CDs as including the piece would surely not have been too difficult.

Hello Barbirollians,

I don't know of a better performance of 'The Trout' than the classic account from Clifford Curzon with members of the Vienna Octet led by Willi Boskovsky recorded in 1957 at the Sofiensaal, Vienna on Decca. I didn't hear the said BAL but if the Curzon wasn't mentioned that would be a travesty.

[gurnemanz]

Hello Barbirollians,

I don't know of a better performance of the Trout than the classic account from Clifford Curzon with members of the Vienna Octet led by Willi Boskovsky recorded in 1957 at the Sofiensaal, Vienna on Decca. I didn't hear the said BAL but if the Curzon wasn't mentioned that would be a travesty.

Curzon not mentioned. This was for a long time my only recording ..... first LP, now CD.

I find these standard repertoire BaLs with their very limited shortlists mostly useful as a source of background info and interpretative comments which can be enlightening to me as a non-musicologist who doesn't study scores. I can't remember the last time I bought a recommendation

[Wolfram]

Curzon not mentioned. This was for a long time my only recording ..... first LP, now CD.

Perhaps just as surprising there was no mention of Brendel either - unless I misheard. His recording with the Clevelanders is terrific.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, I get hacked off with the 'digital only' brigade!

Well there aren’t many people buying vinyl.

[pastoralguy]

Well there aren’t many people buying vinyl.

Really?! I've been to Prague and Milan recently as well as our last remaining HMV shop in Edinburgh and they are/were stowed out with vinyl so SOMEONE must be buying the stuff!

(More money than bloody sense but that's mho!)

[Bryn]

Really.! I've been to Prague and Milan recently as well as our last remaining HMV shop in Edinburgh and they are/were stowed out with vinyl so SOMEONE must be buying the stuff!

(More money than bloody sense but that's mho!)

Absolutely!

[Goon525]

Classical vinyl sales are negligible.

[Richard Tarleton]

Well there aren’t many people buying vinyl.

This has been posted before....



© The New Yorker

[HighlandDougie]

Curzon not mentioned. This was for a long time my only recording ..... first LP, now CD.

Ah, a happy reminder that my copy of the Curzon (Decca SXL 6238-41 Vienna Chamber Music Festival) is on good old vinyl. Stuff the neophytes and their obsession with little silver discs, nothing but nothing beats the satisfaction of lowering the tone-arm onto that black revolving LP. And, to my jaded ears, LPs still sound wonderful, clicks, scratches and all.