Unfinished symphony of Schubert

The Symphony in so minor , D. 759, of Franz Schubert, was made up in 1822 but was discovered only years after the death of the type-setter; one allots the nº 8 classically to him , but it carries the nº 7 in the more recent renumérotations. Because it comprises only two movements, it remains known under the name of unfinished Symphony , but nothing proves that Schubert hoped to add a third part so much to him work appears complete. Certain musicologists estimate that this symphony anticipates the music of Anton Bruckner.

It appears surprising which Schubert could not compose two other movements in order to supplement a symphony so firmly started. How to include/understand this sudden decline of its musical inspiration? With this question several assumptions were advanced, but most credible remainder that which justifies this sudden decline by the discovery of Schubert of its Syphilis.

The unfinished Symphony is one of the symphonies most played in the world.

It comprises two movements:

  1. Allegro moderato in so minor
  2. Andante idiot motor bike in semi major

Attempts to finish the symphony

In 1928, at the time of the hundredth birthday of died of Schubert, the Columbia Gramophone Company launched a contest to finish the symphony. The pianist Frank Merrick gained and its Scherzo and its Final was played. These two movements since were forgotten. More recently, the British musicologist Brian Newbould proposed another completion of the symphony in which it has integrates the proper drafts of the Scherzo of Schubert (the trio was to be generalized) and re-used the music of the interlude of the music of accompaniment of the part Rosamunde .

The first interval of Rosamunde was regarded a long time by some musicologists as the true final one of the symphony: it is also in so minor, the instrumentation is the same one and musical environment similar to that of the two finished movements. If it were the case, then it would be Schubert which would have extracted it to make use of it in Rosamunde.

References to the cinema

  • Of the extracts of the symphony is played in the film Minority Report of Steven Spielberg (2002).
  • the beginning of the first movement is used in Schtroumpfs like Leitmotiv of malicious Gargamel.
  • the symphony is played in an episode of the televised series of cartoons Simpson when the orchestra of the school of LISA the cheek.
  • an episode of the series of cartoons Casper the nice phantom is entirely centered on the two pages for piano of this symphony. In this episode, the phantom of Schubert tries to supplement it but is constantly stopped by the noises of the street.
  • the symphony is partially played in the Golden age , a film of Luis Buñuel going back to 1930 (scene of the reception of the " marquis de X.").

Audio files

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