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The lyric beauties of Schubert's Trout Quintet -- its elemental rhythms and infectious melodies -- make it a source of pure pleasure for almost all music listeners.

But for students of musical forms and would-be classifiers, the work presents its problems.

Since it requires only five players, it would seem to fall into the category of chamber music -- yet it calls for a double bass, an instrument generally regarded as symphonic.

Moreover, the piece is written in five movements, rather than the conventional four of most quintets, and this gives the opus a serenade or divertimento flavor.