Schubert: Death and the Maiden, Etc

Of Schubert’s various string quartets the Quartet in A minor, with its variations on the well-known Rosamunde theme and the Quartet in D minor ‘Death and the Maiden’, with variations on the song of that name, are the most familiar. The ‘Arpeggione’ Sonata was written for a newly devised and soon obsolete stringed instrument, the arpeggione. It now provides additional repertoire for the cello or viola.

Yuri Bashmet is the pre-eminent viola player of the modern age and he has inspired the leading composers of our time such as Gubaidulina and Schnittke to expand the repertoire with significant new music. Described by The Times as 'without doubt, one of the world's greatest living musicians', he worked closely with such legendary names as Rostropovitch and Richter and is an inspiring teacher of the Viola.