On March 10, violist Jonah Sirota (of the Chiara Quartet) will be performing an all-Schubert recital, including the Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, and the beloved “Trout” Quintet. He will be joined by GKSOM faculty, Mark Clinton, David Neely, Karen Becker and bassist Hans Sturm.

The arpeggione is a cello-like instrument with six strings and frets, and is rarely played in the modern era. Schubert’s sonata for the instrument has been transcribed for both viola and cello, as the range of the arpeggione covers the ranges of both instruments. It is a dark and dramatic sonata, written by Schubert towards the end of his life, in the same period as his “Death and the Maiden” Quartet. The Piano Quintet in A Major, by contrast, was written nearly ten years earlier, when Schubert was only 22. It gets its name from the song “Die Forrell” (“The Trout,” also by Schubert) which forms the basis for a set of variations in the fourth movement. This work is a sunny, leisurely work, a great contrast to the emotional intensity of the Arpeggione Sonata. Although Schubert is not particularly noted as a composer of viola music, these two works showcase the viola in wonderful ways, and are both audience favorites. Don’t miss this chance to hear two Schubert masterpieces in one program!