alone, yet there is no evidence that a public performance ever took place. In 1838, ten years after Schubert's death, Robert Schumann visited Vienna and was shown the manuscript of the symphony at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde by Ferdinand Schubert. He took a copy that Ferdinand had given him back to Leipzig, where the entire work was performed publicly for the first time by Felix Mendelssohn at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 21 March 1839. Schumann celebrated the event in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik with an ecstatic article in which, in a phrase destined to become famous, he hailed the symphony for its 'heavenly length'. The symphony, however, was found to be very difficult for orchestras of the day because of its extremely lengthy woodwind and string parts. When Mendelssohn took the symphony to Paris in 1842 and London in 1844, orchestras flatly refused to play it; in London, the violinists are reputed to have collapsed in laughter when rehearsing the second subject of the finale. Numbering 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. Form Following the standard symphonic form, there are four movements: I. Andante – Allegro ma non troppo – Più moto The first movement begins with an extensive introduction with its own miniaturised exposition, development and recapitulation. The opening theme is used in a modified form as secondary subject matter in the main section of the movement. The rest of the movement is in sonata form with two periods for each theme and several transition themes and extra material. The opening theme of the introduction is restated in the coda (b. 570) before the final cadences. II. Andante con moto The second movement is in a modified sonata form without a development section characterised as P1 S1 P2 S2 (or A–B–A–B). III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace; Trio The third movement is a lengthy Scherzo and Trio which is structured in sonata form. IV. Finale. Allegro vivace The finale is in an extended sonata form. There are no less than six unique thematic elements in the main themes alone. The development section focuses on the third and sixth thematic elements.