Schubert: Piano Trio No.2 in Eb, D.929 (Trio Wanderer)

Schumann hailed Schubert’s 9th Symphony for its “heavenly length”, but that phrase could be just as appropriately used to describe this trio, a work of miraculous diversity whose vast swells and deflations have a boundlessness about them. The ingenuity on display here is extraordinary – the implausible modulations throughout (Mvt 1’s first theme is in Eb, the second in B min), the way a tiny motif briefly wedged between the first 2 themes of Mvt 1 expands into an ocean of sound, the gorgeous melody of Mvt 2, the baffling intricacy of Mvt 4’s sonata-rondo form. Perhaps because I’m more used to choosing from the piano literature, choosing a performance of this work to showcase was annoyingly difficult, because recordings are often lopsided – Schiff/Perenyi is too piano-ey, while the recent Mutter/Trifonov is far, far too violin-centric. This recording is close to perfect – lyrical without gilding this work’s undercurrents of pain, confiding in the slow sections, gripping in the climaxes, deft in those many wonderful modulations. And when the music really should be left to speak for itself – Mvt 2, for instance – it’s left just as it is, perfect. MVT I, Allegro EXPOSITION 00:00 – Theme 1 (T1), Eb 00:17 – Motif (a), in the cello. Note semitone descent/ rise pattern (Bb-B-Bb, C-B-C, and so on) 00:53 – T2, B min(!). Developed as soon as it is introduced. 01:51 – (a) 02:10 – (a) blooms into T3, in Bb. Rhythmic/textural change at 2:38 = T3* 02:58 – T4/Codetta, beginning with hemiola & incorporating (a). DEVELOPMENT 03:31 – Transition 03:41 – T3*, in B. At 3:51, (a) introduced in bass & developed. This structure (T3*, then Motif 1) is repeated twice in F# & Db, in a long-drawn sequence replete with gorgeous modulations. 06:27 – Long dominant preparation RECAPITULATION 07:20 – T1 08:16 – T2, E min 09:34 – T3, Eb 10:22 – T4 10:48 – Extended coda. (a) returns with a vengeance at 10:54. At 11:11, T2 returns. At 11:54 T1 enters, displaced into rising figure, before T2’s rhythm closes. MVT II, Andante con moto 12:15 – A section. Melody with some lovely modal colour. At 13:04, in its second strain, a falling motif (b) is introduced (itself from the falling Gs at 12:58). 14:11 – B section. Melody introduced in violin, developing (b). At 15:19, climax of this section is reached. 16:02 – A section. Melody in piano, counterpoint in violin/cello. At 16:59, melody developed further in Ab min and C# min. At 17:30, outburst in F# min. (b) erupts over the Neapolitan at 17:44, which becomes dominant of C. 18:02 – B section. At 19:14, an exclamation, cycling through A, F, and C twice. 20:50 – A section. Coda. Melody introduced momentarily in the major, before returning to minor. In unison, violin/cello state a modified version of the melody a final time, before small cadenza in piano closes. MVT III, Scherzo (Allegro moderato) 22:01 – Scherzo. Canonic imitation between piano & strings. Magical modulations throughout. (Ab to E, 22:44. Eb to C, 23:13, etc.) 24:53 – Trio