Schubert’s FIFTH SYMPHONY, created in October 1816, is fashioned in a chamber manner, both in terms of dimensions and instrumentation – it does not include clarinets, trumpets and tympani. Perhaps these particular instruments were missing from the amateur orchestra which Schubert had at his disposal. And he was fortunate to hear it in performance at the home of Otto Hattwig, a bassoon-player at the Theater-an-der-Wien orchestra whose apartment housed the gatherings of the orchestra members after they discontinued their meeting at the lodgings of Schubert’s father. But afterwards it shared the fate of his other scores – its first public performance took place in London on 1 February 1873, more than half a century after the composer’s death.

Influences of the Viennese classicists and mostly, of Mozart, are still perceptible in this symphony. At the time he was composing the symphony, Schubert was infatuated with the genius of his predecessor, writing in his diary on June 13, 1816, “O Mozart! immortal Mozart! what countless impressions of a brighter, better life hast thou stamped upon our souls!” And, like in Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, Schubert omits the traditional slow introduction from the first movement, opening the symphony directly with the simple ethereal violin passages of the main dance-like theme. The graceful flowing melody of the slow second movement also reflects a great deal of Mozart’s music, but in the second theme, the soulful dialogue of violins and woodwinds and colorful inventions already capture the hallmark romantic features of Schubert’s writing. The third movement brings together the features of the classic minuet and the Ländler, characteristic of Schubert’s music, while the Finale, the shortest movement of the symphony, is somewhat reminiscent of Haydn with his exuberant dancing character and bright, cheerful mood.