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An unfinished symphony is a fragment of a symphony that is left incomplete. The reason as of why and the state of the sketches themselves can vary considerably. The death of the composer is the most common cause for a symphony to be left unfinished, but it can also be abandoned due to lack of progress, frustration or changes in style, among other issues. Even when a symphony is complete, parts of it may be lost later on, thus technically making the work "unfinished" even if the composer actually finished it. Sketches can range from a few notes and motives, to complete works in short score or unorchestrated manuscripts. When a symphony is left unfinished, it may remain in that state or be completed through various means.
In some cases, another composer may try to finish it, but how depends on case to case. Some attempt to reconstruct the composer's original ideas or follow their style, while others do not. Parts from previous compositions may be reused to complete the work, or the material may be rearranged without adding new music. Some composers expressed their desire for these fragments to be destroyed or hidden from public view. Some symphonies are unfinished but performable, and are simply played in their incomplete state. The archetypal unfinished symphony is Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8. Other widely known unfinished symphonies are Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 10 and Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 9.