Franz Schubert composed his Third in 1815 at the age of 18. He had been preoccupied with the symphonic genre since 14 and it would accompany him throughout his lifetime. However, none of his symphonies were ever performed in public during his short life that ended at 31. His Symphony No. 3 received its premiere 32 years after his death, in 1860 at the Redoutensaal in Vienna, and even then only the 4th movement (because the conductor of the night put together a curious potpourri consisting of movements from the composer’s first four symphonies…) Another 21 years had to pass before the entire work was first performed, in February 1881.
The opening movement of the symphony rests on two main motifs – the fast upward passage in the slow introduction and the main theme’s leaping dotted rhythm – which will keep returning at various crucial points in the form. The G-major Allegretto is the fastest slow movement in any Schubert symphony, whose ingenious simplicity and humour and the folk character of its middle section are clearly evocative of Haydn’s spirit. The minuet is almost a scherzo on account not only of its vivid tempo but also a momentum that tests the limits of the dance form, and its motivic variations.Again the folk element is present in the middle section; the Trio is a jolly Ländler, and in the main section too features bagpipe-accompanied parts. The finale with its irresistible zest, tarantella rhythms and overflowing withjoiedevivre is usually likened to Italian music, in particular Rossini’s style.