- Composed in 1827

- Duration: 43 minutes

On March 26, 1828—one year to the day of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death—audiences gathered to hear the only public concert consisting entirely of the works of Franz Schubert presented during the composer’s lifetime. On the program were a variety of recent works in genres ranging from chamber music to solo songs and choral works. One of the newest pieces on the program was the Trio No. 2 in E-flat major, written the year before. As the only multi-movement work performed in its entirety, it functioned as the focal point of the show. It was first heard on January 28, 1828, at the engagement party of Schubert’s lifelong friend, Josef von Spaun. There, the performers were the pianist Carl Maria von Bocklet, violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, and cellist Joseph Linke. For the public concert, Schuppanzigh was replaced by Joseph Böhm due to illness. 

The audience reception was enthusiastic, largely due to Schubert’s friends who supported through attendance and worked to make the event happen. Joseph Sonnleithner, uncle of Franz Grillparzer, Schubert’s friend and artistic collaborator, observed, “Since he was not at all the man to initiate anything of this kind himself, it was once more his friends who gladly and with affection arranged and managed the concert.” Spaun, noting that Schubert needed the money, added his recollection of the mood, “The exceptional responsiveness of the packed audience matched the rare enjoyment of his evening, which will certainly remain unforgettable.” Regarding the financial gains, Schubert took a portion of his earnings to buy tickets to see Niccolò Paganini, the violin virtuoso who was launching his first-ever European tour from Vienna. Schubert was so enraptured that he urged a friend to go with him a second time, exclaiming, “I tell you, we shall never see the fellow’s like again! And I have stacks of money now—so come on!”

Expansive to the point of symphonic, wide-ranging emotionally, and intensely technically demanding, Schubert’s Trio No. 2 is an impressive work challenging the bounds of chamber music (much like Beethoven’s late works. Opening in a unison declaration, the broad Allegro movement feeds off the swirling energetic contrast between raw urgency and disarming charm contained within the dancelike 3/4 meter. In the second movement, Schubert—the great writer of vocal works—weaves together an instrumental interpretation of a song. In this instance it is Se solen sjunker (See, the Sun Is Setting) by the Swedish composer Isak Albert Berg, expanded, yet true to its original. A Scherzo third movement follows, its characteristic playfulness expressed through points of imitation where we hear a melody echoed in response, while its Trio section freely scatters forceful accents. Though lengthy (and originally significantly longer before Schubert was asked to make cuts), the finale captivates through its remarkable early use of cyclical structure, a technique that would be favored by the next generation of composers, such as Franz Liszt. As it progresses, we suddenly hear the second-movement theme again, as if the piece is remembering its own past. This occurs multiple times, each recollection its own variation, generating an excitement of discovery as the piece gathers intensity to end with a definitive flourish. 

Program note © Kathryn Bacasmot