Schubert · Franz Schubert
Schubert Symphony No. 4 in C minor, "Tragic"
The composer himself gave it the title 'Tragic'
- Key
- C minor
- Composed
- 1816
- Premiere
- 1849 Leipzig
- Duration
- about 30 min
- Movements
- 4 movements
- Instrumentation
- Woodwinds 2·2·2·2 · Brass 4·2·0·0 · Timpani · Strings
The story behind this piece
Completed in April 1816, it's Schubert's first symphony in a minor key. Schubert wrote the title 'Tragic' on the score himself.
It was never performed publicly in Schubert's lifetime, and wasn't given its first public performance until 1849 in Leipzig, after his death.
What to listen for
- Introduction to the 1st movement: a slow introduction that wanders darkly through chromatic scales, modeled on the "Chaos" scene of Haydn's The Creation
- Four horns add a weighty sound
Listen · Score
Credits