Favorite Unfinished Symphonies or Symphonic Fragments

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

On the "2-Symphony Composer" thread, Sgt. Rock stated as follows:

Yeah, I'm way into fragments. Love me some fragments 

So what fragment is your favorite?

[Luke]

Not a symphony but Schoenberg's Jakobsleiter certainly springs to mind, outside the obvious Mahler/Bruckner/Schubert contenders of course.

[springrite]

Gotta vote for the greatest Chemist/Composer of all time!

[Sergeant Rock]

An impossible choice for me: both Mahler and Bruckner are part of my personal trinity and I love both symphonies. I really like the Elgar too. I can't pick Schubert because I don't feel it is a fragment. It seems perfect as is. So I'll vote other: Stenhammar 


Sarge

[The new erato]

Reminds me we need a thread about favorite symphonic fragments from ZERO symphony composers.

[Scarpia]

Even if you are restricting to the most obvious, the Mozart Requiem would seem like an obvious option.  I picked Schubert.

[DavidW]

Nothing comes close to Bruckner's 9th.

[Bulldog]

Nothing comes close to Bruckner's 9th.

I'll second that.

[Bulldog]

Even if you are restricting to the most obvious, the Mozart Requiem would seem like an obvious option.  I picked Schubert.

Yes, but for a sacred choral work. 

[Lethevich]

Not sure how to vote, as the Bruckner, Schubert, Mahler and Borodin function as self-contained full movements, essentially fully written as the composers intended, but the Elgar and Schnittke I am unsure how "finished" any of the movements were, and where the elaboration came in. Other good ones in the first group I would add are Tubin and Burgmüller - very fine solitary movements which work well on their own. I wasn't even aware the Tubin was unfinished at first so complete did it feel to me.

I find the Elgar 3rd and Mahler 10th to be the most miraculous rescue acts, given how much wonderful musical content was brought to the public that might have risked never being heard, so I'll go for Elgar as I'm sure Mahler will get a billion votes.

[Scarpia]

Yes, but for a sacred choral work.

Noted.

[Grazioso]

I must needs vote for Herr Bruckner. The 9th stomps on just about any other symphony out there. And thank goodness he didn't finish it. It's perfect as is.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I'll second that.

Thirded. I think it's de facto finished as it is. What could follow that adagio? I've heard a completion and was not convinced by it.

[karlhenning]

Yes, but for a sacred choral work. 

Yes, but . . . Scarps noted a choral work!

[Scarpia]

Yes, but . . . Scarps noted a choral work!

I can deal with choral works of Bach and Mozart, generally.  Works of a later vintage appeal when they invoke the spirit of those earlier times (such as Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms).  It is works of the Mahler 8 ilk that I cannot fathom.

[Lethevich]

I forgot Peter Ruzicka's ...das Gesegnete, das Verfluchte...,* which I believe was based on fragments of Allan Pettersson's 17th symphony?

*(btw what is with late 20th century German composers and all those orchestral pieces with titles beginning and ending in ellipsis?)

[Opus106]

What could follow that adagio?

Apparently a more violent piece of Brucknerian proportions than the 8th. Ever since I came across that piece of info, that "perfectly ending with the adagio" idea was slowly pushed away by "Oh *F$#%*(, why can't I travel back in time and make that fellow finish the piece (or, perhaps, let the world know in which drawer he kept the scores) before he breathed his last!".

[Scarpia]

Apparently a more violent piece of Brucknerian proportions than the 8th. Ever since I came across that piece of info, that "perfectly ending with the adagio" idea was slowly pushed away by "Oh *F$#%*(, why can't I travel back in time and make that fellow finish the piece (or, perhaps, let the world know in which drawer he kept the scores) before he breathed his last!".

The piece was finished, except for the coda, which had been extensively sketched.  Upon Bruckner's death his collected papers were ransacked by collectible hunters and half of Bruckner's final draft is now lost.

[Opus106]

Upon Bruckner's death his collected papers were ransacked by collectible hunters and half of Bruckner's final draft is now lost.

You see, if I could travel back in time, I would never let that happen.

[jochanaan]

Non-symphonic work nomination: Die Kunst der Fuge!

Close call between Mahler 10 and Bruckner 9, but I went with Bruckner.  At least we can hear Mahler's musical structure, although without his matchless orchestration skills...