# Finishing the unfinished



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Can anybody point out an unfinished work by a composer, that has been 'finished' by somebody else, of which you are able to say: *Yes*, that's done in the same spirit & it convinces me fully!!? For example: Mozart's Requiem, Mahler's 10th...


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Personally, I'm happy with the Phillips/Cohrs/Mazzuca completion of Bruckner's 9th. Although I think there's a new completion which I haven't heard yet.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Schubert left many unfinished manuscripts. Regarding the "Unfinished" Symphony, I am satisfied that it was in fact finished by Schubert - who had nothing more to impart.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

I find Anthony Payne's completion of Elgar's 3rd Symphony surprisingly satisfying.

I agree with you on Mahler's 10th (although I urge you to listen to ALL the different completions - it makes fascinating listening).

There are similarly various completions of the finale of Bruckner's 9th.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Borodin's Symphony No. 3. It only had about 2-3 movements of sketches, but Glazunov orchestrated it. Hence, it's only a 3 mvmt. symphony.


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## notesetter (Mar 31, 2011)

Manxfeeder said:


> Personally, I'm happy with the Phillips/Cohrs/Mazzuca completion of Bruckner's 9th. Although I think there's a new completion which I haven't heard yet.


Maybe this is the one you're looking for-

http://www.abruckner.com/downloads/downloadofthemonth/


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

I never really liked any finished work, it's always minus. Even in well estabilished cases. Puccini's Turandot - taking most catchy melody from the already written material and setting it as final chorus? What kind of achievement is that? 

Episode on Masquerade, last symphonic poem by Mieczysław Karłowicz, was left unfinished at the time of his death and later finished by Grzegorz Fitelberg - that's the closest thing I know to being satisfactory since they both were virtuosos of orchestration coming from similiar background.


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## Rangstrom (Sep 24, 2010)

The Rimsky-Kosakov/Shostakovich completion of Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina.


The Bruckner 9th 4th movement is much more effective than I expected. I now prefer the 4 movement version.


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> Schubert left many unfinished manuscripts. Regarding the "Unfinished" Symphony, I am satisfied that it was in fact finished by Schubert - who had nothing more to impart.


I read somewhere that Schubert never began a new piece until he'd finished the one he was working on. The Unfinished Symphony either was finished - as you say - or else he broke a working habit and left it to go on to other stuff.

I agree with you. It was a finished, two-movement symphony...


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Both Schubert and Bruckner are perfect the way they were left by their creators.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Kieran said:


> I read somewhere that Schubert never began a new piece until he'd finished the one he was working on. The Unfinished Symphony either was finished - as you say - or else he broke a working habit and left it to go on to other stuff.
> 
> I agree with you. It was a finished, two-movement symphony...


There are several sonata 'fragments', some of them interesting (others not so much). Do you remember how your source fits them into his theory?


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> There are several sonata 'fragments', some of them interesting (others not so much). Do you remember how your source fits them into his theory?


Not at all. I wouldn't be a good internet forum member if I could back up a rumour with genuine hard facts! :lol:

Actually I read it in Stephen Fry's semi-witty Incompete History of Classical Music. Now, he makes the odd error in facts that I'd even spot, but this one I thought would be copper-plated. It seems such an unlikely thing to get wrong...though he must have!


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

Mahler's 10th and even Mozart's Requiem might not be perfect examples of unfinished works completed in the exact same spirit. They're both very valuable and good, but there's a clear discontinuity between where they "end" and where they "pick back up".


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

So many come to mind:

Tchaikovsky;s E flat symphony, completed by Semen Bogatyrev (my blog, http://itywltmt.blogspot.com/2011/05/is-there-tchaikovsky-seventh-symphony.html)

Puccini's Turandot, completed by Franco Alfano read http://www.jstor.org/pss/3878265

Beethoven's Symphony No. 10 in E flat major is a hypothetical work, assembled from Beethoven's fragmentary sketches by Barry Cooper. Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._10_(Beethoven/Cooper)


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Borodin's Symphony No. 3. It only had about 2-3 movements of sketches, but Glazunov orchestrated it. Hence, it's only a 3 mvmt. symphony.


Don't forget Prince Igor, his only opera, completed by Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov.


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

regressivetransphobe said:


> Mahler's 10th and even Mozart's Requiem might not be perfect examples of unfinished works completed in the exact same spirit. They're both very valuable and good, but there's a clear discontinuity between where they "end" and where they "pick back up".


You must be referring to the Deryk Cooke version. I think Majler's sketches were pretty comprehensive, given his usual composing regimen of sketches one year, orchestration the next. I think this is an example of a reconstruction that works, though Bernstein steadfastly refused to perform it...

In the same vein, Toscanini NEVER performed the Alfano ending to Act 3 of Turandot, stopping mid-way through the act at the premiere, and informing the audience that this was where "the master put his pen down". Wish I'd been there to witness it!


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Kieran said:


> Not at all. I wouldn't be a good internet forum member if I could back up a rumour with genuine hard facts! :lol:
> 
> Actually I read it in Stephen Fry's semi-witty Incomplete History of Classical Music. Now, he makes the odd error in facts that I'd even spot, but this one I thought would be copper-plated. It seems such an unlikely thing to get wrong...though he must have!


While reading your response this morning, I thought of a hedge. If those fragments are actually the survivors of completed sonatas, the other parts having disappeared, Mr. Fry hasn't fallen off his horse.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Bartok's viola concerto was finished by his student, Tibor Serley and another version finished by his son, Peter Bartok. Most people prefer the former, I prefer the latter, go figure.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

notesetter said:


> Maybe this is the one you're looking for-


Thanks for the link!


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