1825 – Vienna, Austria

Do note the year and place. Culturally, the city was ahead of it’s time, sheltering among other gifted artisans, an entire society of orchestral composers. Among them was 25 year old Franz Schubert.

How did it come to be that he is most known for his Symphony #7 (or is it 8?) UNFINISHED SYMPHONY?

Over the centuries, a host of scholars have checked in on the question. Why wasn’t it finished? Collectively, their diatribes are insufferable, in and out of the musical weeds, then back to whatever explanation that could be plausible at the time.

It was said of Franz Schubert that he was simply scatter-brained, that he would place documents of his work in a desk drawer only to forget where they were years later.

Another critic suggested that his contraction of syphilis interrupted the flow of his work. Yikes! I’ll choose not to even go there!

I was reminded this morning, however, of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony when I reviewed some pages on my computer with a plethora of unfinished writing This was started. That was started. Where was I going with that? With this?

My face managed a coy smirk. What business did I have comparing myself to Franz Schubert?

Yes, he was a musical genius. I’m not a genius at anything. But, hey, he wasn’t the only one with a desk drawer,