Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 8, "Unfinished" / Rosamunde (Excerpts)

Featuring

Johannes Wildner
Philharmonia Cassovia
Franz Schubert

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Composition History

Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, known as the 'Unfinished' Symphony, was composed in 1822 but only two of its four expected movements were completed.

Cultural Impact

The incidental music for 'Rosamunde, Firrstin von Zypern,' a play that was a dramatic disaster, is remembered solely due to its association with Schubert's music, particularly the entr'acte and ballet music which gained lasting popularity.

Composer Biography

Franz Schubert, a composer featured on this album, was born in Vienna and spent most of his life there, unlike his predecessors Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven who came from other regions.

Composer Biography

Schubert's musical talents were nurtured as a chorister in the Imperial Chapel, where he received a good education and was associated with the Court Kapellmeister Antonio Salieri, who significantly influenced him.

Notable Performances

The movements of Schubert's 'Unfinished' Symphony were not performed during his lifetime; they were rediscovered 43 years after its composition and premiered in Vienna in 1865.

Composition History

Schubert's Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major was written in 1816 and performed in October of that year at the home of Otto Hatwig, a violinist in the Burgtheater orchestra, by a group of amateur musicians.

Compositional Technique

The 'Rosamunde' theme, from Schubert's incidental music for the play, was later reused by the composer as a theme for variations in his A minor String Quartet and reappeared in the B flat Impromptu.