Intrigue in Inexistence: Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and the Influence of Hindsight and Posthumous Canonization on Western Art Music

Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759, often dubbed the “Unfinished Symphony,” is a topic of intrigue for musicians and scholars to this day, largely due to the fact that it is incomplete. Its popularity and acclaim come not from the music itself, but as a result of the posthumous association with its composer. Correspondences between key figures in the piece’s history such as Anselm Hüttenbrenner and Johann Herbeck, as well as critics’ reviews of the piece, underline value in the mystery and narrative of its incompleteness. Through the observations of various musicologists and critics including Martin Chusid, Maynard Solomon, and Herbert F. Peyser, this paper firstly explores the pre-existing material of the symphony—both its physical history and the musical content. Then, it examines how, despite being unfinished, value was placed upon this piece via the reaction and reception of the work, which had been influenced by Schubert’s already-established reputation. Such explorations demonstrate how the popularity and legacy of a composition can be elevated in hindsight to its creation. Furthermore, this investigation serves as a gateway to the discussion of the legacy of this symphony and other unfinished works considering human nature and retrospective effects of storytelling.