FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Symphony in B-minor, Unfinished (1822)
Schubert led a tragically short life, dying when he was just 31. But the lyric beauty of his works has made him immortal. The magnificent “torso” we know as the “Unfinished” Symphony is one such unforgettable work, composed when Schubert was just 25 years old. He completed only two movements and sketched a third, but set it aside to work on other projects. The music was not heard until 1865, when Johann Herbeck led the Society of Friends of Music at the Vienna premiere. The story about how such a beautiful work was lost for so long is intriguing. Schubert apparently gave the score to Anselm Hüttenbrenner, though the reason is unclear. Was it in payment of a private debt, or was it a gift to the Styrian Music Society as Schubert’s thank-you for his honorary membership? About 30 years later, Joseph Hüttenbrenner (brother of Anselm) wrote a letter about the score to Johann Herbeck, conductor of the Society, saying that he, Joseph, had “a treasure in Schubert’s B Minor Symphony, which we put on a level with the great Symphony in C [Schubert’s Ninth], his instrumental swan song, and any one of the symphonies of Beethoven.” This was high praise indeed. Another five years elapsed before Herbeck paid a visit to Hüttenbrenner, who presented the conductor with a pile of papers that included the present symphony. Herbeck, realizing what he held in his hand, asked if he might copy it, but Hüttenbrenner allowed him to take it away. The Symphony’s two movements show a beautifully imagined and brilliantly executed work, masterfully blending lyricism and drama. From a brooding beginning through stormy development to the final serene measures, this symphony—despite its nickname—feels gloriously “finished.”

FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Symphony No. 4, “Italian” (1833)
For artists, poets, and composers, it was virtually de rigeur to make a grand tour at the conclusion of their studies, and for those from the colder climes of Northern Europe in particular, to search out the beauty of Italy’s sun-drenched landscapes and to experience the joie de vivre of its people. Mendelssohn was no exception. He undertook his coming-of-age travels as a 21-year old and fell in love with Italy—an inevitability. The result is this spirited symphony, one of the most beloved in the repertoire. “It will be the jolliest piece I have ever done, especially the last movement,” he wrote to his sisters. He gave it the nickname “Italian,” but also referred to it once as “blue sky in A major,” something that is obvious from the ebullience of the very first measures. Commentators have provided their interpretations of the various sections, yet these are scarcely important, given the appealing nature of the symphony—Italian or not. By the time you get to the last movement, it will be hard to sit still, and you’ll feel like joining in the saltarello, which he indicated should be played “presto.” The saltarello was a rapid 16th century Neapolitan dance that incorporated lively skips and jumps (from the Italian “saltare”—to jump or hop) in its choreography. An interesting sidelight is that musical impressions were not the only thing the young Mendelssohn brought back from Italy: he also created a number of watercolors and sketches on his sojourn. Fun fact: music from the fast-paced fourth movement made it onto the soundtrack of the 1979 film “Breaking Away.”

DAVID ROBERTSON, conductor, born in 1958 in Santa Monica, California
David Robertson is the twelfth music director of the 131-year-old Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, embarking on his sixth season there in the fall of 2010; he also continues as the principal guest conductor of London’s acclaimed BBC Symphony Orchestra, a post he has held since 2005. His popularity also makes him a welcome guest with orchestras throughout the world; in fact Musical America named him Conductor of the Year in 2000. “I have never looked at any of the musical positions I have held as stepping stones; I don’t look at life as a waiting-room experience. What I like to do is to really concentrate on what I’m doing at the moment. I let the rest of the stuff take care of itself.” His affinity for and expertise in 20th century repertoire led to his eight-year tenure as music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain (in Lyons, France), which champions new music. And speaking in a Carnegie Hall interview about the “transformative” nature of a live concert, David Robertson said: “Everybody comes into the concert hall with different experiences. If you perform a well-known work, there are people who have perhaps done their doctoral thesis on that work, and they know it intimately. [Then] there are people who are hearing the work perhaps for the first time in a live performance…You can provide an open structure where, once people get inside, the layered richness of that type of human creativity is expressed in such a way that each person hears the things that only they can hear in the program.”

“He’s a brilliant musician and a master programmer.” The New Yorker

“Mr. Robertson makes everything seem fresh and startling.” The New York Times

Find additional upcoming performances with David Robertson