Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C major, "The Great"

Written in 1825–26. For a long time it was wrongly thought to be a work of 1828, the year Schubert died. Schubert dedicated it to the Vienna Society of the Friends of Music, but the society didn't stage it, saying it was too long and difficult for an amateur orchestra to play.

In 1838, Schumann was captivated by the score that Schubert's brother Ferdinand showed him in Vienna and took it to Leipzig. It was first performed publicly in 1839, conducted by Mendelssohn. Schumann wrote an essay praising the piece's "heavenly length."

After that, orchestras in Paris (1842) and London (1844) refused to play it, calling it too difficult and too long. So playing it as an amateur is quite a challenge! It's called "The Great" to tell it apart from No. 6, "Little C major," and its number varies from country to country: 7, 8, or 9.