Franz Schubert
With musicians and patrons wondering when they will see the inside of a concert hall again, many are turning to recordings of historic performances. In that spirit, I would love to share my hands-down favorite video on YouTube.
Franz Schubert‘s Trout Quintet is a joyful work from start to finish, and this is a truly joyful performance of that work by an absolute all-star lineup (you may want to sit down before continuing):
Daniel Barenboim, piano
Itzhak Perlman, violin
Pinchas Zukerman, viola
Jacqueline du Pré, cello
Zubin Mehta, double-bass
I know!
As if this historic roster itself isn’t enough to entice you, the video begins with enchanting behind-the-scenes footage of the musicians, all in their mid-twenties at the time, traipsing around London. We are treated to laughter during their rehearsals and general joviality backstage before the performance, as Perlman plays “Flight of the Bumblebee” on cello (!) and Barenboim tries his hand at the bass.
Bring the lights down, settle in to your comfy sofa, and play it on your big screen for maximum satisfaction.
