On this day, 174 years ago, the premiere of Schubert’s String Quintet in C major took place in Vienna, Austria.

The string quintet was brought to prominence by Mozart’s masterpieces in the form, using the standard string quartet line-up of two violins, viola and cello with the addition of a second viola. Beethoven wrote an underrated quintet for the same instrumental combination, but Schubert chose to use a second cello. His much-loved quintet, completed three weeks before his death, is a desert island choice for many people on account of its heavenly Adagio. Here it is, played by the Borodin String Quartet and cellist Alexander Buzlov: