Franz Schmidt served as a cellist in the Vienna Court Opera Orchestra, automatically making him a member of the Vienna Philharmonic, where he played under Gustav Mahler.
Composer Biography
Franz Schmidt, the composer, was born in the polyglot city of Pozsony-Preßburg-Bratislava in 1874 to a forwarding agent father and a musically versed mother.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Franz Schmidt believed that much music written for piano was not 'genuine piano music' because it could be transferred to other instruments, unlike music conceived specifically for the piano's unique sound.
Composition History
The A major Quintet has two interchangeable slow movements because the commissioner, Paul Wittgenstein, had formal reservations about the original piano solo intermezzo.
Composer Biography
As a young man, Franz Schmidt's family faced financial ruin after his father was imprisoned for a mysterious embezzlement case involving a large sum of money.
Performer Biography
The Linos Ensemble, founded in 1977 by oboist Klaus Becker, has been praised for its perfection and interpretive power, with one review calling them 'musical world champions.'
Composition History
The Quintet for Piano, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, and Violoncello was commissioned by Paul Wittgenstein, a virtuoso pianist who lost his right arm in World War I.
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