Schubert: Symphony No. 8 Unfinished | Iván Fischer & Budapest Festival Orchestra

Unfinished and yet the most famous: Symphony in B minor “Unfinished” by Franz Schubert performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFO) conducted by Iván Fischer. The concert took place on February 28, 2014 at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest.

(00:00) I. Allegro moderato
(15:00) II. Andante con moto

Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) had already composed six complete symphonies by 1820, all of which were successors to the works of the great classical symphonists Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. It was followed by symphony drafts which Schubert then abandoned. Only from the third draft did he complete two movements in 1822, including orchestration. Of a third movement – the Scherzo – only a few bars exist. Although the two completed movements of this B minor symphony have gone down in history as “Unfinished,” they appear to be self-contained. No wonder, therefore, did Schubert send it as a symphony to the Steiermärkischer Musikverein in Graz in 1823, which had appointed him an honorary member. It is possible that Schubert himself was convinced of the completed character of the two symphonic movements. Beginning in 1825, he again worked on a four-movement symphony, later known as the “Great Symphony in C Major”. Judging by the order in which they were written, the “Unfinished” symphony would have to be considered Schubert’s 7th symphony, and the “Great” his 8th. However, in his complete published works, Schubert’s symphonies were numbered according to the order in which they were found and first performed, so that it has become customary to refer to the “Great Symphony in C major” (D 944) as the seventh and the “Unfinished” (D 759) as Symphony No. 8 in B minor. In more recent sources, the reverse numbering is occasionally found.

The Symphony in B minor was not premiered until 1865, after Schubert had already been dead for 37 years. Even the premiere was a sensational success, and to this day the “Unfinished” is an absolute favorite with audiences. It is considered the first “Romantic” symphony ever because it contains much that is musically new. Its opening alone, with the mysterious and almost threatening ascending and descending melody in the low strings, builds up a tension that is maintained until the end of the two movements. Both movements are similar not only in tempo but also in structure. Somber, ominous passages are followed by sultry, homely ländler, which in turn break off abruptly, so that positive melodic lines always prove deceptive. Although the second movement seems more optimistic overall, the thematic blocks always take unexpected turns. But still, the symphony fragment ends in a kind of chorale in which the conflicting themes are reconciled.

© LGM Télévision in co-production with Mezzo

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