The Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) wrote nine
symphonies during his 31 years, or should that be eight-and-a-half? The
question mark is there because his 8th Symphony comprises only two movements,
although they are among the best pieces he ever wrote.
This was no means his final composition. The 8th
Symphony, in B Minor, was started in 1822 and the two movements were fully
scored for orchestra. He also wrote a third movement, a scherzo, but only in
piano score, with just the first two pages completed for orchestra. There is no
trace of a final movement.
Schubert was a prolific composer who continued to write
until shortly before his death. The completed pieces include his magnificent 9th
Symphony in C Major, which has long been known as “The Great”.
So why was the 8th Symphony never completed? Or
was it?
There are several mysteries about the symphony that have
never been solved. One of them is that it is known that Schubert gave the
incomplete score to a friend in 1823, and the friend did not reveal its
existence until 23 years after Schubert’s death. Why was this? And why were
several pages torn from the scherzo at some time before it was eventually
brought to light? What was on those missing pages?
Could it be that Schubert did in fact complete the symphony
but the pages have been lost? Might it be that Schubert ran out of inspiration
and could not think how to finish it? Did he just get bored by it when he was
caught by the next musical idea which he simply had to turn his attention to
while it was fresh in his mind?
Like so many past mysteries, we shall almost certainly never
know!
© John Welford
