Last time we discussed Schubert existing
in the shadow of Beethoven’s legacy. Today I would like to discuss one of
Schubert’s exceptional works and get your opinion on how it holds up next to
the works of Beethoven.
Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C Major
“Great” was never performed during the composer’s lifetime. It was not until
ten years following Schubert’s death that Robert Schumann uncovered the
manuscripts and insisted that it make a public appearance that very year.
Though many composers felt it best to avoid composing symphonies in fear of
being compared to Beethoven’s symphonic repertoire, Schumann praised the
“Great” Symphony saying that in it Schubert successfully created his own
approach to writing a symphony.
In his Symphony No. 9, Schubert blends
the Romantic lyricism found in his lieder with Beethoven’s drama. The first
movement begins with a slow, chorale introduction in the horn section before
moving into an allegro. Portions of this chorale come back later in the
movement.
