Conductor's Note

Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D. 417 “Tragic”

Year of composition: 1816 ‍           ‍
Location of composition: Vienna
Length:≈ 30 minutes
Orchestration: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings

Franz Schubert composed his Fourth Symphony in 1816 when he was just 19 years old. 1816 was an incredibly prolific year for the young composer, as he wrote over 100 songs (including his iconic Der Wanderer) and two major symphonies, in addition to his Stabat Mater. What did you do when you were 19?! While the other five of his first six symphonies were largely Classical in flavor and form, the Fourth Symphony was significantly more serious in tone and mood. Schubert composed this symphony during a time when he was growing increasingly frustrated with his position as an educator, feeling himself overqualified to be a generalist teacher and a composer for a slapdash orchestra (his family ran an amateur orchestra that grew out of the string quartet at his father’s school). There are multiple theories as to why this symphony is so much darker and more serious than others written during this compositional epoch in Schubert’s life, but what is certain is that this was a deeply personal composition, and one through which Schubert was purging himself of large emotions.

Scholars divide Schubert’s symphonies into two groups: Nos. 1–6, his “early symphonies,” composed between 1813–18, and then his Eighth and Ninth symphonies, which stand alone as his “mature symphonies.”

(The numbering system for Schubert’s symphonies is less cut and dry than for many composers, owing to the fact that he started and abandoned several symphonies during his lifetime.)

During his early period, his symphonies were mostly Mozartian and Haydnesque. While they were certainly beautiful and displayed moments of Schubertian brilliance, they were clearly written for an amateur orchestra, with entertainment value front of mind. His two mature symphonies, both The Unfinished and The Great, were written at a time when Schubert was trying to figure out how to write a symphony in a post-Beethoven world. Schubert had a great deal of respect for Beethoven, and after several years of struggling with how to “compete” with the great master, Schubert realized that he could write orchestral compositions that stood alongside, rather than in the shadow of, Beethoven.

The Fourth Symphony that you are hearing tonight was an early foray into his mature style of writing. From an early age, Schubert was a master of thematic development. As he freed himself from some of the structural constraints of his other early symphonies, it allowed his innate genius for writing long, lush, melodic lines to flourish. The Fourth is Schubert’s only symphony written in a minor key, and the choice of C minor was significant. In the symphonic world of the time, C minor had a strong association with Beethoven, owing to its usage in his iconic 5th Symphony and Pathétique Sonata. Schubert dubbed his own Fourth Symphony the “Tragic,” largely because of the key in which he chose to write it. The music itself, despite its more serious tone and moments of high tension, is not overly sad, but its placement in C minor — Beethoven’s key of choice for many of his most emotional and “tragic” compositions — makes the sobriquet fitting.

The two outer movements are at times reminiscent of the Sturm und Drang symphonies of the late 1700s. Schubert’s youthful obstinacy and anger can be heard in moments of high tension. The Andante second movement is some of Schubert’s most beautiful writing from any of his compositional periods. The lyricism and his masterful command of crafting a melody are unparalleled. Even the rhythmic, pulsating string accompaniment figure plays an integral role in the melodic — not just the harmonic and rhythmic — structure of the movement. The Menuetto, especially the trio section, is one of my favorites by Schubert, as the rhythms and lilt perfectly encapsulate the intended lightness of the movement while still maintaining just a hint of the drama of the first and last movements.

Schubert was mostly known as a songwriter, and like most of his other instrumental works, the Fourth Symphony was never publicly performed during his lifetime. This magnificent symphony did not receive its public premiere until 1849 in Leipzig.

While you will hear the heavy influence of Mozart and Haydn, as well as his aspirations to emulate Beethoven, at its core, the Fourth Symphony is Schubert through and through. While not his most famous symphony, I hope you leave the concert tonight with a new appreciation and love for this work that marked an emotional and compositional turning point in the young Schubert’s life.

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