Schubert's Piano Trio in B flat major D898 was published eight years after his death, while his E flat major D929 was published during his lifetime.
Notable Performances
Schubert's E flat Trio was premiered on December 26, 1827, and was received with 'extraordinary applause' at his concert in a packed hall.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Music historian Alfred Einstein noted that Schubert's two piano trios, along with the 'Trout' Quintet, represent his purest blend of 'sociable' spirit and true chamber music.
Compositional Technique
The slow movement of Schubert's Piano Trio in E flat major has the paradoxical character of a C minor funeral march, conveying intimate melancholy rather than solemnity.
Instruments
Andreas Staier plays a fortepiano by Christopher Clarke, made in 1996, which is a replica of a Conrad Graf instrument from Vienna, 1827.
Composition History
The slow movement of Schubert's E flat major Trio may have been inspired by Swedish folksongs performed by tenor Isak Albert Berg in Vienna during the winter of 1827/28.
Critical Reception
Robert Schumann, a prominent composer and critic, enthusiastically praised Schubert's Piano Trio in B flat major, stating that it makes 'the miserable hustle and bustle of human existence vanish'.
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