Adagio and Rondo Concertante in F, D487

When Schumann was just a young boy, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was already past the midpoint of his life. He had tried his hand at teaching in his father’s grammar school, all the while continuing to nurture his love for music. Solo piano music and songs dominate his output, for he often had no other musical forces at hand in order to try out his ideas. But on certain occasions—happy times when friends came calling—Schubert could indulge his passion for larger instrumental combinations. The Adagio and Rondo Concertante in F Major, which amounts to a single movement concerto, is scored for piano, violin, viola, and cello. When the piece was written, Schubert was deeply in love with Therese Grob. He lavished care on the piano portion in honor of Therese’s brother, a gifted young pianist. Not many composers explored the piano quartet medium; Beethoven and Brahms each wrote three, Mozart just two. In the case of Schubert’s example, the slow Adagio introduction listeners will likely recollect similar passages from the famous “Trout” quintet. During the Rondo portion, dazzling soloistic display helps mask the rather thin melodic development.

(c) Jason Stell