Classics Explained

 

Schubert The Trout Quintet

 

Written and narrated by Jeremy Siepmann

 

CLASSICS EXPLAINED

Each set offers a narrated introduction to the work and its background, and a detailed analysis of the work itself. After each movement is analysed, with musical examples, the whole movement is played. Through this ideal marriage of narration and music, Siepmann makes it possible to understand more about the way the work is put together without reading a score, enhancing the enjoyment and understanding of the music itself. The booklet contains the complete spoken text for further study.

 

 

THE TROUT QUINTET

‘The happiest work in the world’, it’s been called as well as ‘the ultimate feel-good piece’ and ‘the only work that nobody doesn’t like’. The ‘Trout’ Quintet, named after the Schubert song that provides the theme for the fourth movement, gives us Schubert at his most irresistible: a veritable fountain of wonderful tunes, rippling, dancing rhythms, and amazing surprises. It all sounds as effortless and spontaneous as music gets. But it’s the amazing art behind its appearance of total naturalness that concerns us here. And unravelling it is almost as much fun as the piece, which is also presented here in its entirety, movement by movement after each chapter of discovery.

 

 

JEREMY SIEPMANN

American-born, Jeremy Siepmann has been long resident in the UK where he has contributed to many leading music journals, including The New Statesman, The Musical Times, Gramophone and the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He is equally well known as a broadcaster on both sides of the Atlantic, and especially on BBC Radio for whom he has presented more than 1000 programmes. He was also Head of Music at the BBC World Service.

 

Naxos 2cds 8558075-76