In recording these, the earliest revelations of Schubert’s boundless lyricism in his early romantic compositional voice as applied to instrumental chamber music, we sought to pay homage to the original intent as well as the authentic sounds. The Sonatinas (a posthumous title) were written for music of the chamber, a time of gathering, sharing, and delighting in the discoveries, creations, and talents of others.

The Sonatinas are a revealing view into the birth of Schubert’s romantic voice. Whether the Sturm und Drang of the G minor and its Haydnesque representation of drama, the early Beethovenian poise, manner, and delight in the D major, or the unabashed dramatic and unapologetic severity in the A minor (Lord Byron’s Manfred was written the same year!), these works show us young Schubert’s boundless expressive spirit.

The piano is an Érard concert grand, built in Paris circa 1835. It is in immaculate condition, superbly conditioned by Frits Janmaat at Maison Érard in Amsterdam. Parallel-strung, and with dampers beneath the strings, the registers have clear distinction; the action is agile; the rich tonal depth is special.

The violin is a rare find, built by Franz Kinberg after the Second World War and set up for late-Classical and early-Romantic historical instrument performance. The gut-strung violin is paired with an extraordinary bow made by John Dodd, London, circa 1800. This pre-modern, transitional bow is a perfect example of the bows still in favour in Vienna at the time the Sonatinas were composed.

We recorded in a 75-seat recital hall with a two-story glass wall, wooden floor and side walls, and the remaining wall of stone. The ceiling ascends at a diagonal up to the highest light, looking up to the mountains. Deer and foxes roam in full view, and there’s an occasional sighting of a mountain lion or a black bear – boundless inspiration for the music!

Mina Gajić performs and records on historic and modern pianos, including exquisite concert grands by Pleyel and Érard. She has appeared as concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber music collaborator across Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States. She is featured on the award-winning audio book “The Escapement” by author Kristen Wolf, playing music of Brahms and Schumann on an Érard piano from 1895.

Zachary Carrettín performs as violinist, violist, cellist da spalla, and orchestral and choral conductor. He has served as guest concertmaster with numerous baroque orchestras including Musica Angelica (Los Angeles), Ars Lyrica (Houston), and American Bach Soloists (San Francisco), and appeared as concertmaster on the GRAMMY-nominated Sono Luminus recording of Ars Lyrica performing Hasse’s Marc Antonio e Cleopatra.