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ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION The work holds the distinction of being the only full-fledged . It also stands out for its somewhat unconventional Instrumentation , employing two Cello s instead of the customary two Viola s. Most other string quintets follow the example of Mozart and call for an ensemble consisting of the four standard Instruments of the String Quartet (two Violin s, viola, and cello), plus a second viola. Schubert, like Luigi Boccherini before him, decided to replace the second viola with an additional cello, thereby enhancing the richness of the quintet texture's lower Register . The work consists of four movements: #''Allegro ma non troppo'' #''Adagio'' #''Scherzo. Presto – Trio. Andante sostenuto'' #''Allegretto'' In common with other late works (eg. the Great C Major Symphony, D.944 , the B-flat Major piano sonata, D.960, etc.), the opening movement is broadly expansive, accounting for more than one-third of the total length of the piece. The second movement, a tender adagio that verges on Elegiac , is interrupted for several minutes, in typically Schubertian fashion, by a powerfully assertive interlude, before returning for a gentle conclusion. Maestro Arthur Rubinstein said that he wanted to hear this movement on his deathbed. Desert Island Discs interview, noted on Talk Page While it was thought by earlier critics to lack the polish appropriate to a work of high-classical art music, it has grown steadily in reputation. Current consensus holds that the Quintet represents a high point in the chamber repertoire; the work is regarded as deeply sublime, with moments of unique transcendental beauty. It incorporates many unusual technical features, including the final two notes: the flat Supertonic and the Tonic , played ''forte'' in all parts. The second movement's plaintive mood makes it popular as background music for pensive or nocturnal scenes in film. Examples include the 1989 ''Nocturne Indien'', the 2001 film '' Conspiracy '', and the 2003 film '' The Human Stain ''. Also Episode 21 from the Inspector Morse television series (''Dead on Time'') draws extensively from this string quintet, as do certain episodes in Desmond Morris ' BBC series ''The Human Animal''. Influences Schubert's string quintet was inspired by Mozart 's Third String Quintet , written in the same key. The opening theme of Schubert's work has retained many of the characteristics of Mozart's opening theme, such as decorative Turn s, irregular phrase lengths, and rising Staccato Arpeggio s (the latter appear only in Schubert's recapitulation) Charles Rosen , "Schubert and the example of Mozart", in Brian Newbould {Link without Title} , ''Schubert the Progressive: History, Performance Practice, Analysis'', 2003, Ashgate.. In turn, Schubert's work inspired Johannes Brahms in the writing of his Piano Quintet . The third movement of Brahms's quintet, written in C minor/major, ends in the same manner as Schubert's finale, with strong emphasis on the flat supertonic, D flat James Webster , "Schubert's sonata form and Brahms's first maturity (II)", ''19th-Century Music'' 3(1), 1979, pp. 52-71.. REFERENCES |
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