LDV85

18 SCHUBERT ∙ ROSAMUNDE, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN The extraordinary Menuetto is utterly spellbinding. Here we are at the heart of Schubertian mystery, with the cello’s groans like a summons to the abyss. This movement, which quotes the beginning of the song Die Götter Griechenlands , was not the easiest to record, because it raises many possibilities in terms of tempo and character. Is this a dance whose lightness should be emphasised or, on the contrary, is the element of shadow even stronger than in the other movements? At first glance it resembles a waltz. But by using very sombre hues, Schubert transforms the Viennese waltz into something strange and ghostly. The pastoral, sunny Trio and the finale, a cloudless scene from a folk festival of rustic simplicity, provide a marked contrast.