The Symphony catalogued as D. 729 is generally accepted as Schubert’s Symphony No. 7, though we are now in a pickle with two No. 7s (the other being D. 708a – see my last post), due to the *completed* versions made by the British musicologist, composer and conductor Brian Newbould. Next to the infamous Unfinished Symphony (No. 8, D. 759), this one is the most *complete* of his six unfinished symphonies. The sketch shows that the work is structurally complete. Schubert only orchestrated the first 110 bars of the first movement. The manuscript was passed from Schubert’s brother Ferdinand to the great composer Felix Mendelssohn. It ended up at the Royal College of Music in London. It has at least three completions. The first to appear was made by the English composer John Francis Barnett (1837-1916) in 1881. The second one was made by the Austrian conductor and composer Felix Weingartner (1863-1942) in 1934. And, finally, Brian Newbould’s appeared in 1980. For this symphony, the orchestration is larger than any of his previous symphonies and is identical to the orchestration for his Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 (as well, No. 10, his final unfinished symphony), with four French horns and three trombones present. The featured clip features Brian Newbould’s version in a performance that formed part of a historical set of Schubert’s symphonies issued by Philips, with Sir Neville Marriner and his Academy of St. Martin-in-the-fields. This conductor-orchestra team is celebrated for their impeccable ensemble discipline and cultured playing. https://youtube/watch?v=xHa7VNCGxZ0 Yes, this is a photo of Brian Newbound. The opening of the Adagio slow introduction in E-minor sounds somewhat mournful at first. The sounds and harmonies brightened up a bit after the opening bars, but it is rather mysterious still. Then, the full orchestra comes in, sounding very majestic and spacious. The rich hues of the trombones leave an indelible impression. Fragments of the somewhat mournful music return, but this does not last long. The lively Allegro in E-major is full of vigor and youthful optimism (2:43). The composer infused some very individual touches with regards to harmony. The effects are very telling indeed. The second theme appears after a short pause (4:42), introduced by the horns. It has the same rhythmic character, but it is more restrained and slightly mysterious and sensitive. The concluding coda brings back the optimistic vigor, which quite bursts through the seams. The development section (6:36 and onwards) utilizes both thematic groups (they are rather monothematic due to their shared rhythmic and melodic traits). It effectively leads to the recapitulation of the first theme (7:33), which is more abbreviated this time around. Of course, this is followed by the second theme (8:11), again, introduced by the horns. The final coda (after the coda of the recapitulation, which is more elaborate and grand than the one for the exposition) is magnificent. But, it begins with a partial recapitulation of the first theme (10:12). Near the end, you hear the trombones taking center stage for some moments. The ardent second movement is in A-major,the sub-dominant key of E-major. The string’s opening theme is repeated by the woodwinds (12:20). A long bridge ensues (13:02). It is rhythmically and melodically monothematic to the principal theme. Indeed, it is harmonically unstable, as it moves from minor to major and so forth. The second theme (14:28), in keeping with the first movement’s thematic design, is monothematic. It begins with a memorable clarinet solo in A-minor. Later, there is a brief display of expressive warmth from the cello section. The recapitulation of the first theme slips in at 15:41. It is, like its corresponding section of the previous movement, abbreviated, which allows the bridge to appear sooner, at 16:21. At 17:46, you have the second theme in A-minor back again, with that haunting clarinet solo. At 18:49, coda begins; and, in keeping with the first movement, it starts with the recapitulation of the first theme, and, in fragments. The third movement Scherzo is in keeping with the |:A:|:B:|:C:|:D:|A|B|| format. And, as with the third movements of Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, it starts with the third beat (however, the one in D. 708a starts on the beat, pointing to the Scherzo of the Great C-major Symphony). The character of this movement can be said to reflect Beethoven’s spirit of a lyric hero. Now, there’s a short bridge that introduces the Trio section (horns playing a long held octave interval). The viola section figures prominently here, as well as the woodwinds. Then, there is a short lead back to A. The business of introducing the Trio section and then devising a lead-back to A at the end of the Trio section will be reflected by the Scherzo of the Great C-major Symphony. Interestingly, this movement here is in C-major, a distant key from both E-major and A-major. Back to E-major, the opening of the Finale sounds like a breath of fresh air. It is a beautiful opening theme, dressed in vintage Schubertian melodiousness. It soon gives way to unbuttoned heroism, one with a genuinely sunny disposition too. A moody transition (27:02) leads to the singing second theme (27:13). It is monothematically developed from the first theme. But, it sounds different enough for the most part. The coda sounds noble. Some of the chord juxtapositions, as well, the level of passion in certain parts, almost approach Dvořák. It is something quite prophetic. The exposition repeats (29:30). The development section (starting at 33:20) maintains the monothematic principle. The recapitulation of Theme I cleverly slips in at 24:22. The moody transition (34:54) and Theme II (35:05) follow. For the final coda, nobility and youthful vigor combine, leaving the listener satisfied and elated. Clearly, Schubert had Beethoven in mind when he worked on the work. The monothematic construction in each movement reflects the heritage of Haydn and Beethoven (who was a pupil of Haydn).
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 10:26:41 +0000
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