Forellen-Quintett = Piano Quintet »The Trout«

Franz Schubert composed his Piano Quintet in A major, D 667, known as the Trout Quintet, in 1819 while summering in Steyr, Upper Austria. He wrote the work for Sylvester Paumgartner, a wealthy music patron and cellist who suggested that Schubert include variations on his own earlier song, Die Forelle. The quintet is uniquely scored for piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass, a configuration that creates a light, transparent texture suited to its pastoral themes.

This 1979 release on Deutsche Grammophon features pianist Jörg Demus alongside the Schubert-Quartett. As part of the label's extensive catalog, the recording reflects a period when the German firm was consolidating its reputation for high-fidelity interpretations of the Austro-German romantic repertoire. The production aims for a balance between chamber intimacy and technical precision, a hallmark of the ensemble's approach to Schubert’s melodic clarity.