Symphony No. 8 'Unfinished' — 1st movement

F. SchubertD. 759

Key

Bm

Time

3/4

Tempo

♩=100

AO focus

AO3

Form

Allegro moderato — sonata form. Cellos and basses open with a hushed B-minor theme, low and unison. Two further themes appear in turn (oboe & clarinet duet, then strings). Schubert wrote two complete movements then stopped — the work has been performed as a torso ever since.

Teaching points

• Cello + bass unison opening — discuss why Schubert avoids the violins for the opening (atmosphere, foreboding)
• Three contrasted themes in the exposition — rare for Schubert; usually he's content with two
• AO3: the 'Unfinished' question — why did Schubert stop? Read Maurice Brown's biography for the latest scholarship
• AO1: a frequent UNEB exam choice — discuss orchestration carefully