# Schubert Symphony 8 & 9



## lostid (Aug 13, 2012)

I don't listen to many symphonies as most of the time I listen to more casual chamber music.

Many people consider Schubert's 9 the best of his symphonies. So I started listening to the 9 and love it. It's beautiful. But today I listened to his 8 by accident, and it made the instant connection to me and caught me by surprise. It appears the 8 strikes me more than the 9.

What do your guys think?

BTW, I have no music background whatsoever. I just love listening to classical music.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I am with you. For me, his 8th is a contender for best symphony ever composed. The 9th is OK, but I could name dozens of symphonies I like better.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*What do you guys think?

*Try Symphony 4.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I love both, but I slightly prefer the 9th. For me each movement is a joy to hear Of course that's true of the 8th as well. Bottom line is that Schubert is a wonderful symphonic composer (along with everything else he does well).


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'd have to agree; I'd put the 8th before the 9th. But they're both great. I especially like John Eliot Gardiners' recording of the 9th; he makes the colors of the orchestra pop out.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Vaneyes said:


> Try Symphony 4.


Or any of the others. These are all very enjoyable and unpretentious symphonies, and mostly ignored in favor of the final pair (or one and a half, if you like).


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Try no. 6 

filler


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Or any of the others. These are all very enjoyable and *unpretentious* symphonies, and mostly ignored in favor of the final pair (or one and a half, if you like).


Not sure about that - from what I remember of the 4th it has many pretensions to sound like, as one of my lecturers put it, _you know who_. _His_ 5th specifically.


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## campy (Aug 16, 2012)

2 and 5 are my favorites (of the early symphonies). But they're all good!


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

When I was younger, I was thoroughly unimpressed by all of Schubert's non-piano/non-song output. They struck me as barren and with little harmonic complexity.

Thankfully, as I've matured, and come to understand the subtleties of music theory; and as I've developed a more refined taste [at least, I like to think so!] in music, I've come to appreciate the ingenious orchestration and, like KenOC called them, "unpretentious", nature of these excellent works!

All of Schubert's symphonies are excellent, plus both of his Overtures "in the Italian Style", and I'm especially fond of the even-tempered recordings of Harnoncourt.


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## lostid (Aug 13, 2012)

Funny thing is I started liking Dvorak's 8 more than his 9 (9 is definitely great). LOL. I approached the 2 symphonies similarly to Schubert's 8 & 9.

Sorry this is off topic but what a coincident and similarity.


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

Lostid, I can see the appeal of Dvorak's 8th. The first movement has a kind of transcendent joy about it, whereas the 9th has a far darker, more enraged pathos. 

If you haven't heard it, I recommend also his "The Wild Dove", Op. 110. All of Dvorak's Symphonic Poems are interesting, though.


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## lostid (Aug 13, 2012)

Novelette: Thanks. I need to dig more of the orchestral work from both composers. I am already a big fan of both composers' chamber music. 

Happy New Year to all of you ....


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## Faville (Sep 15, 2012)

lostid said:


> Funny thing is I started liking Dvorak's 8 more than his 9 (9 is definitely great). LOL. I approached the 2 symphonies similarly to Schubert's 8 & 9.


I'm in the same boat. Far prefer Dvorak's 8th to his 9th, and Schubert's 8th to his 9th.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2013)

The wonderful thing about classical music is that you can have them all. I don't think I even want to compare the 8th to the 9th - I love them both. I rarely listen to only one of them. Typically I listen to both together. Schubert was incredible. He is one of my favorite composers. Definitely top 5.


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## lostid (Aug 13, 2012)

I agree. 

I guess sometimes after we have listened to a particular piece for many times over and again we will likely find freshness in other pieces we have not listened or have not listened enough. 

What a loss to the human beings with Schubert died at such a young age, even though he had already composed so many beautiful pieces (literally anything he had composed) for us to enjoy. Although I started my journey of enjoying classical music from listening to Mozart's and Beethoven's (both remain my favorite composers no doubt about that), nowadays I listen more to the music of Schubert, Brahms, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Saint-Saens, Ries, Raff and many others.


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

It took me a good long while to come to appreciate Schubert's non-piano music. I used to find his string quartets uninteresting, and his symphonies confused and without direction or melodic flow.

Thankfully, I've realized how much subtlety there is in these works, what ingenious orchestration, etc. Schubert's early symphonies are pleasant and charming, but not particularly impressive, in my opinion. Likewise with his first six string quartets. The string quintet and the piano quintet don't appeal much to me, for they don't seem to betoken a characteristic voice of Schubert.

The late symphonies are monumental accomplishments, and it amazes me how quickly Schubert developed a command of the contrapuntal art [notable mostly in the 8th]. The 9th symphony appeals to me chiefly for the excellence of orchestration, as well as some hauntingly beautiful melodies [thinking again of the touching trio section of the Scherzo].


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

Oh.. I love all of Schubert' symphonies. His early symphonies are magnificent especially my current favorite, Symphony no. 3. It's just darned charming!

His Unfinished is a monumental work. I have a slight preference to the Great C Major because I listen to it everyday. The recording of Josef Krips with LSO is the greatest ever!


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