Symphony No. 3 in D major, D. 200

Schubert wrote this symphony in under two months at the age of 18, and it was never performed in his lifetime. The first movement opens with a broad, dramatic introduction in two parts, the first slow and weighty, the second more lyrical, before launching into an Allegro con brio where a solo clarinet trades off against syncopated strings in a playful, almost Rossinian exchange. The finale drives forward in tarantella rhythm, a propulsive dance metre, with bold harmonic shifts and sharp contrasts in volume that give the whole ending a restless, comic-opera momentum.

What to listen for

In the third movement (marked Menuetto, Vivace), the phrases are written to begin on the third beat rather than the first, which throws the expected accent of a minuet off-balance and gives it the energy of a scherzo. When the trio section arrives, the texture suddenly thins and a solo oboe and bassoon lead a gentle Landler, a slow Austrian country dance, before the off-kilter main theme returns and reasserts itself.

Recommended recording

Günter Wand's cycle with the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, from the late 1970s and early 1980s, has been frequently cited as among the most satisfying complete Schubert symphony sets on record.

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