Symphony No. 10 (Schubert)

Schubert's Symphony No. 10 in D major, D 936A, is an unfinished work that survives in a piano sketch. Written during the last weeks of the composer's short life, it was only properly identified in the 1970s. It has been orchestrated by Brian Newbould in a completion that has subsequently been performed, published and recorded.

The sketch appears to date from the last weeks of the composer's life, in October–November 1828, and is presumed to be the Last Symphony (Letzte Symphonie) mentioned by his friend Eduard von Bauernfeld in an appreciation of Schubert published in the Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode for 13 June 1829.

The music of the symphony appears to some extent exploratory and contains unusual elements, notably the hybrid form of the third movement and the highly contrapuntal nature of much of the material. Sketches for the third movement are intermingled with several counterpoint exercises, which suggests that it is related in some way to the single counterpoint lesson Schubert took from Simon Sechter a few weeks before his death in 1828.

The sketches are written on two staves, with voice leading, and harmonies ranging from complete to partly indicated. The manuscript contains about 30 instrumental indications, confirming that the intended orchestra was similar in size to the eighth and ninth symphonies, with a trio of trombones.

The manuscript contains sketches of three movements, each one in different time signatures. Scholars agree that the second movement is virtually completed, while the two outer movements are in less completed form. According to Newbould, the second and third movements are complete in the sketches, with the first only lacking the recapitulation.

Allegro maestoso in D major, ⁴
₄

For the first movement, in sonata form, Schubert wrote the full exposition; however, he then crossed out the first theme group and the transition and rewrote them in the following page; these lead to the second theme as written in the first draft. After ending the exposition in several A major cadences, the tempo changes from Allegro maestoso to Andante, and the new key of B♭ minor is established. This new section, acting as an unconventional development, presents a solemn chorale-like variation of the second subject played by the trombones. According to Newbould, the whole development is written out, but there is no recapitulation. Actually, many sketches of Schubert's finished works lack the recapitulation (like his last piano sonatas), due to it being mostly a partially transposed repetition of the exposition. After this, a series of short "modules" marked Presto serve as sketches for the coda of the movement.

...
Wikipedia