Symphony No. 8 in B minor "Unfinished", D. 759
by Franz Schubert
Schubert composed only two of the planned four movements of this symphony in 1822 and then set it aside, never returning to it. The work was not premiered until 1865, 37 years after his death. Far from feeling incomplete, the two movements are so perfectly balanced and self-contained that the symphony has become one of the most beloved in the repertoire. The opening Allegro moderato unfolds with an atmosphere of brooding mystery unique in Schubert's output; the Andante con moto offers lyrical respite. The question of why Schubert left the symphony unfinished has occupied musicologists ever since.
Movements
Editions
Bärenreiter
Neue Schubert-Ausgabe, 1967
The critical scholarly edition, prepared from the autograph score and the first published edition. Standard for performance.
Eulenburg
Brian Newbould, 1997
Pocket score with Newbould's reconstruction of the intended Scherzo movement as an appendix; useful for study.