‘Piano Trio in E Flat’ - Franz Schubert, 1827
Any time I hear this piece of music I think of Barry Lyndon, the movie that gave me my first opportunity to hear the Piano Trio. Of course, because of the film, every time I hear the Piano Trio I think of British redcoats and French bluecoats marching against each other shelling each other to bits, with thirty soldiers cut down in a hail of cannonfire, all directed by Stanley Kubrick in our very own Kilkenny.
This piece is almost weary, as if it knows something about human nature that we don’t know but, by God, we’re going to find out in due course. Apparently it was one of the last compositions completed by Schubert, and there is definitely a sense of cynicism and world-weariness about it.
Piano and cello intertwine with each other and repeat each other’s notes, taking turns at playing the main melody. It’s a sublime piece of music, and works perfectly with Barry Lyndon. Beautifully melancholic, and possibly my favourite piece of classical music. Here’s a Youtube clip - well, a photo - from Barry Lyndon with the Piano Trio playing. Enjoy.
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