Within the three movements of Franz Schubert’s “Arpeggione” Sonata in A minor are poignant melodies from the great master of the lieder, set alongside sparkling virtuosic passages.
The sonata is a satisfying piece for performer and audience. It’s hugely popular, even though the six-string arpeggione, the instrument for which it was originally composed, is now almost forgotten.
The best performances of the sonata make it sound effortlessly beautiful, a result that can only come about through long hours of practice.
It’s also essential to capture the tender character of the sonata, which was written when Schubert was already ill with what was almost certainly Syphilis, which would kill him four years later. “You can feel the fragility in the music and I think it’s very touching,” comments cellist Gautier Capuçon.
Here are Miklos Perenyi, Cello, and Andras Schiff, Piano, to play this music for you:
