Written in 1815 when Schubert was 18, the Third Symphony is notably concise, and shorter than the composer’s first two symphonies. But it also foreshadows ideas that would expand the scale of the symphony in years to come.
Schubert’s Third symphony has no real slow movement. Instead there is a lightly scored (without trumpets and timpani) Allegretto in ABA form.
The third movement is marked “Menuetto,” but the name is rooted more in tradition than reality. The middle section, scored for solo oboe and bassoon, and strings without cellos, is more a Ländler, or even a waltz, than a minuet.
The last movement, “Finale” in the rhythm of the tarantella, is marked “presto vivace” (quick, lively). The movement owes much to the frenetic drive of comic opera overtures.
Here is the late legendary conductor, Carlos Kleiber, leading this beautiful music:
