Symphony No. 8 (Schubert)

Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor, commonly known as the Unfinished, was started in 1822 but left with only two movements complete even though Schubert would live for another six years. A nearly completed, but rarely performed, scherzo also survives.

Modern Completions

In 1928, the anniversary of Schubert's death, the Columbia Gramophone Company in England held a competition to complete the symphony. The pianist Frank Merrick won the competition and his scherzo and finale were performed and recorded, but are now largely forgotten. More recently, the English musicologist Brian Newbould has also offered a completion of the symphony, using Schubert's own scherzo (the trio of which had to be completed) and the entr'acte of Schubert's incidental music for the play Rosamunde.

Related Topics:
1928 - England - Pianist - Frank Merrick - Musicologist - Brian Newbould - Scherzo - Trio - Entr'acte - Incidental music - Rosamunde

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The entr'acte of Rosamunde has long been suspected by some musicologists to be the finale for this symphony. Both have B minor as their fundamental keys, both have identical instrumentation, and they share a very similar mood. If the entr'acte is indeed the finale of this symphony, then Schubert evidently discarded it from the symphony and used it instead in the play.

Related Topics:
Key - Instrumentation

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