Forellen-Quintett, Quartettsatz C-Moll Op. Posth.

Franz Schubert composed his Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, known as the 'Trout' Quintet, in 1819 while visiting the town of Steyr. He wrote the work for a wealthy amateur cellist, Sylvester Paumgartner, who requested a piece featuring the same instrumentation as Hummel's quintet, including the variation movement based on Schubert's own song 'Die Forelle'. The Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703, remains a singular movement from an abandoned string quartet project, reflecting the intense, turbulent shift in Schubert's mature style.

This Deutsche Grammophon release, catalog number 135 062, pairs the Amadeus Quartet and pianist Jörg Demus in performances that captured the label's mid-century commitment to high-fidelity chamber music recordings. The Amadeus Quartet, founded in 1947 by Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe, became one of the most celebrated string quartets of the 20th century. Their interpretation of Schubert is often noted for its refined, cohesive ensemble sound, which helped cement the standard for post-war German classical recordings.