Last Impressions: Schubert

Schubert’s Quintet in C has a curiously time-bending quality. It is a late work, composed only two months before the composer’s death in 1828. But at the same time, it is the work of a young man: Schubert was only 31 when he died. It then languished for over 20 years, before being finally published in 1853, as if a new work. And it does sound more modern than a piece from the 1820s, with its dramatic contrasts of mood, its wonderfully meditative slow movement, and the sonorous depth of its ensemble courtesy of two cello parts.

Above all, it is an opportunity for intimate exchanges between the players. Lasting around an hour, it requires the most intense concentration and trust between the players. For conductor Marin Alsop, reminiscing about “marathon” chamber sessions as a student, “the Quintet will always represent youth, friendship and the warmth of the shared experience”.

Irène Duval violin
Magnus Johnston violin
Brett Dean viola
Guy Johnston cello
Laura van der Heijden cello