In Schubert’s Company

Something old: Schubert’s rich, prolific genius, only really recognised in the decades after his death.

Something new: Two contemporary composers’ take on Schubert’s mastery of romantic, tuneful melody.

Something borrowed: His Arpeggione Sonata, originally written for bowed guitar, now transformed into a work of melodic joy for string orchestra, and virtuosic viola prowess.

And something blue: Death and The Maiden, Schubert’s testament to death in the form of his fourteenth string quartet, written in the long stretch of months as the composer knew he was dying, penniless and without hope.

Together with Grammy-nominated British-Ukranian violist Maxim Rysanov, we explore the shifting shades of Schubert which have rippled across two centuries. Acting as a nimble showcase of the instrument’s low, velvet tones against the rarely-heard burnt caramel of its higher register, Rysanov’s performances are a welcome reminder of just how distinctive the viola can sound.