Beskrivelse
The Symphony No. 9 in C major, D 944, known as the Great (first published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1849 as “Symphonie / C Dur / für großes Orchester”, listed as Symphony No. 8 in the Neue Schubert-Ausgabe), is the final symphony completed by Franz Schubert. Originally called The Great C major to distinguish it from his Symphony No. 6, the Little C major, the subtitle is now usually taken as a reference to the symphony’s majesty. Unusually long for a symphony of its time, a typical performance of The Great lasts an hour when all repeats indicated in the score are taken. The symphony was not professionally performed until a decade after Schubert’s death. There continues to be long-standing controversy regarding the numbering of this symphony, with some scholars (usually German-speaking) numbering it as Symphony No. 7. The most recent version of the Deutsch catalogue (the standard catalogue of Schubert’s works, compiled by Otto Erich Deutsch) lists it as No. 8, while most English-speaking scholars list it as No. 9.
