ALC 0125 Mozart String Quintet No. 4 in G minor, k. 516 - Schubert Quintet for piano and strings in A major Op. 114 D. 667

Mozart String Quintet No. 4 in G minor, k. 516 - Schubert Quintet for piano and strings in A major Op. 114 D. 667 "La trota"

Label: Aulicus Classics

Category: Live Recordings

Composers: W. A. Mozart, F. Schubert

Artists: Gabriele Pieranunzi, Francesco Solombrino, Francesco Fiore, , Ermanno Calzolari, Antonello Cannavale, Ivos Margoni

Gabriele Pieranunzi plays a 1762 Ferdinando Gagliano violin, kindly provided by the Fondazione Pro Canale Onlus.
Ivos Margoni plays a Gagliano replica violin made by Gennaro De Francesco.
Francesco Fiore plays a 1987 Etienne Vatelot viola.
Francesco Solombrino plays a 2012 Jens Norskov viola.
Danilo Squitieri plays a 1919 cello made by Francesco Guadagnini.
Ermanno Calzolari plays a 1922 Biagio Caruana Marsigliese contrabass.
Concert recorded on November 28, 2023, at Villa Pignatelli, Naples, as part of the “Settimana di Musica d’Insieme” organized by the Alessandro Scarlatti Association, supported and promoted by the Municipality of Naples.
Sound engineer: Gianni Ruggiero
Postproduction: Rosella Clementi
Photos by Luca Petrucci
Special thanks to the Municipality of Naples, the Regional Directorate of Campania Museums and all the staff of the Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes Museum.

Format: 1 CD

Cat. number: ALC 0125

Release: September 2024

From 1781, during the last decade of his life, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived in Vienna. He quickly gained favour as a pianist and composer. The aristocracy adored him, publishers courted him, and theatres applauded him for a few years. However, following the success of "The Marriage of Figaro" in 1786, his fortune declined. His music, evolving without regard for fashion or audience preferences, began to sound difficult to Viennese ears. Concerts and commissions dwindled. While Vienna turned its back on him, Prague honoured him and in 1787 requested a new opera: "Don Giovanni." Yet, during its composition, Mozart faced severe financial difficulties, which worsened over time. These were slightly alleviated by the support of fellow Masons, leading him to temporarily set aside the opera to work on something that could be published and sold quickly. However the resulting works from the spring of 1787, the String Quintets K. 515 and K. 516, remained unsold for a long time. These quintets, contrasting like sun and moon, the first in the radiant key of C major, the other in a restless G minor, were not commercially successful due to their unusual ensemble and dense writing, rich in counterpoint and introspection, which did not suit the average taste of the time. Moreover, K. 516 is immediately complex. The "Allegro" is intense, bristly, concentrated and febrile, and does not seek approval, challenging listeners to engage with it. The Minuet is similarly austere, with a tortuous melody and stark contrasts. The "Adagio ma non-troppo" offers a lyrical oasis with muted strings. One would expect a brilliant finale, but Mozart surprises with an enigmatic "Adagio," which abruptly transforms into a luminous "Allegro," creating an unexpected and seemingly carefree ending that some commentators find too lighthearted to be credible.

Preview Tracks

1. W. A. Mozart_Quintetto per archi n.4 in Sol min. K516_ Allegro

2. W. A. Mozart_Quintetto per archi n.4 in Sol min. K516_Minuetto e trio, allegretto

3. W. A. Mozart_Quintetto per archi n.4 in Sol min. K516_Adagio ma non troppo

4. W. A. Mozart_Quintetto per archi n.4 in Sol min. K516_Adagio-Allegro

5. F. Schubert_Quintetto in La Magg. Op.114, D667_La Trota_Allegro vivace

6. F. Schubert_Quintetto in La Magg. Op.114, D667_La Trota_Andante

7. F. Schubert_Quintetto in La Magg. Op.114, D667_La Trota_Scherzo - Presto

8. F. Schubert_Quintetto in La Magg. Op.114, D667_La Trota_Tema. Andantino

9. F. Schubert_Quintetto in La Magg. Op.114, D667_La Trota_Allegro giusto