Schubert: Symphony in C major 'The Great' | Marek Janowski & the Dresdner Philharmonie

Franz Schubert’s “Great” symphony (D 944) could also be called the “Long” symphony – since for many years it was considered the longest orchestral work of all time. The Austrian composer himself, however, never got to hear this Symphony in C major. It was not premiered until eleven years after his death by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under the baton of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Robert Schumann had discovered it in Schubert’s musical estate and immediately recognized its artistic value. In this video, Schubert’s “Great” symphony is performed by the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Marek Janowski. The renowned German orchestra celebrated its 150th anniversary with this concert in 2020.

(00:00) I. Andante. Allegro ma non troppo
(17:20) II. Andante con moto
(31:35) III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio
(45:20) IV. Finale. Allegro vivace

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) composed more than 600 songs in his short life (he lived to be just 31 years old). He often used poems from his time as a textual basis. For example, he set Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s famous ballad “Erlkönig” to music. But Schubert did not want to have the reputation of being a mere composer of songs. He began writing symphonies at a young age, some of which remained fragments, but seven of which he completed, the Great Symphony in C major being the last. The New Schubert Edition designates it as his Symphony No. 8. Schubert’s 8th was probably composed in the summer of 1825 under the overpowering impression of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, although some scholars think that it was not completed until 1828, the year of Schubert’s death. Whatever the case, in his “Great” symphony Schubert succeeds in freeing himself from Beethoven’s shadow and composing an entirely independent, monumental symphonic work that would go on to set the tone for the symphonic genre.

German conductor Marek Janowski (*1939) is one of the best-known and most successful orchestra conductors of our time. He is known to be unusually precise and efficient. His international opera and concert activities have taken him to all the world’s great concert halls. He conducted the Dresden Philharmonic from 2001-2003 and has done so again since 2019.

The Dresden Philharmonic was founded as the “Gewerbehaus-Kapelle” by the city of Dresden on November 29, 1871. The name refers to the hall where the orchestra performed at that time. Since 1923, the orchestra has been called the “Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra”. In its long history, it has been led by numerous famous composers and conductors, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Antonín Dvořák. Shortly after the orchestra’s founding, its musicians started to travel abroad for concerts, even performing in the United States in 1909. The sound of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra was particularly shaped by Kurt Masur, who was its musical director from 1955 to 1972. On November 29, 2020, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated its 150th anniversary. The festive concert, a part of which can be seen here, unfortunately took place without an audience due to the Covid pandemic.

A production of EuroArts Music International
and Dresdner Philharmonie
in coproduction with Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk & ARTE CONCERT
© 2020 EuroArts

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