2nd Concert: Schubertiade. In memory of Guido Zaccagnini. Chora, Old School.

Music historian, authoritative critic, and the unmistakable voice of RAI RADIO3, Guido Zaccagnini brought generations of listeners closer to classical music with passion and expertise. This concert is intended as an affectionate and heartfelt tribute to his memory, on the island he loved, with the music he loved most.

This evening’s programme is devoted entirely to Franz Schubert (1797-1828), a composer of great significance within the context of nineteenth-century Viennese music, whose work marks a crucial transition towards early Romanticism. His extraordinarily prolific output remains, even after two centuries, among the most complex and captivating bodies of work in the Western musical canon. Schubert is remembered above all for his vast and varied body of Lieder, which represents one of the highest achievements in the evolving relationship between music and poetry. In this sphere, he treats musical material as a privileged vehicle for the expression and transmission of poetic content, transcending conventional boundaries of the genre and introducing an innovative harmonic and melodic language. In the realm of instrumental music, Schubert’s symphonic output, though limited by the brevity of his career, reveals a stylistic evolution of remarkable significance. While remaining largely outside the official circles of the aristocracy and the mainstream concert tradition during his lifetime, Schubert achieved a remarkable synthesis between the legacy of the First Viennese School – particularly Mozart and Haydn – and the emerging tendencies of Romanticism. His work bears the hallmark of strong individuality, not only in its dramatic intensity and harmonic boldness, but also in its aesthetic conception of music as a medium for exploring human individuality. In this light, tonight’s programme presents chamber works of exceptional interest.

The Trio in E-flat major D 897, bearing the apocryphal title “Notturno”, was composed around 1828 – the year of the composer’s death – for violin, cello, and piano. A single-movement work with the character of a free and expressive Fantasia, it was likely intended as part of a larger multi-movement composition, despite its completeness as a self-contained piece. This markedly lyrical Adagio was published posthumously by the Viennese publisher Diabelli in 1846, eighteen years after its composition and the composer’s death.

Also dating from 1828 is the Fantasia in F minor D 940, for piano four hands, likewise published posthumously in 1829 by the same Diabelli, who assigned it the opus number 103. Composed between January and April 1828 – Schubert was to die on 19 November that year – the Fantasia perfectly embodies the Schubertian aesthetic of great formal freedom in the service of poetic imagination, dream-like lyricism, and creative liberty. It has been cautiously suggested that a theme of romantic affection may run through the work, in view of its dedication to Caroline Esterházy de Galantha (1811–1851), a former pupil for whom Schubert is thought to have harboured strong feelings. However, as the work was published after his death and the autograph contains no dedication, it is equally plausible that her name was added during the publication process without the composer’s approval.

The only work in this evening’s programme published during Schubert’s lifetime is the Trio in E-flat major D 929, for violin, cello, and piano, issued by the Leipzig publisher Probst in 1828. It was first performed on 26 December 1827 at the Vienna Musikverein by members of the Schuppanzigh Quartet, with Karl Maria von Bocklet at the piano, and made a strong impression on the audience. This success is particularly noteworthy given that, at the time, the most popular chamber music still tended to reflect the sociable, salon-oriented tastes of the day – an approach from which Schubert, like Beethoven, had decisively moved away in his mature years. Further confirmation of its public reception came on 26 March 1828, when the work was repeated at a concert of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, alongside other Schubert compositions, including Lieder and the first movement of a “new string quartet” (probably the String Quartet in G major, D 887) – a sign of growing attention to and appreciation of his music. In the meantime, Schubert worked towards the publication of the trio, following Probst’s advice to adapt the work to editorial requirements by shortening the fourth movement (Allegro moderato) and agreeing to omit certain passages to secure its appearance in print. Despite these modifications, Schubert succeeded in preserving the musical substance of the work, as can be seen by comparing the abbreviated version with the original. Today, the original version is fully restored in concert performances.

Federico Foglizzo