Five exceptionally fine first symphonies

[kishnevi]

Well, and then someone might say Henning.

A certain affluent duck did just that back at reply 9.

[Turner]

Henze
Elgar
Sibelius
Brian
Schnittke "no.1"

2nd line of choices maybe:
Walton
Bruckner no.1
Holmboe no.1 'Rustica'
Nørgård
Berio

[Karl Henning]

A certain affluent duck did just that back at reply 9.

Well, shame on me for not noticing the compliment!

[Karl Henning]

Speaking of Brahms. and Mahler...


Bruckner

Hans Rott

Others not yet mentioned (I think) from more recent years...

Karl Amadeus Hartmann

Bernard Herrmann

Zoltan Kodaly

Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov

Karl Henning

Thank you, indeed.

[Ken B]

Well, shame on me for not noticing the compliment!

It's difficult to hear clearly with all the quacking.

[nodogen]

My choices are mostly some of the Ones mentioned, with One different:

Brahms
Bruckner
Coates
Nielsen
Sibelius

😊

[Chronochromie]

Beethoven
Mahler
Debussy
Messiaen
Berio

[Cato]

Beethoven
Mahler
Debussy
Messiaen
Berio

I assume that is a reference to Turangalila ?

Lera Auerbach's Symphony #1 is not to be missed:

https://www.youtube.com/v/rpRr-tTEpfw

[Chronochromie]

I assume that is a reference to Turangalila ?

Indeed.

[SymphonicAddict]

Beethoven
Mahler
Debussy
Messiaen
Berio

Debussy? Which one do you refer to? I only know a Symphony in B minor for piano duet or two pianos, but not for orchestra.

[Chronochromie]

Debussy? Which one do you refer to? I only know a Symphony in B minor for piano duet or two pianos, but not for orchestra.

I consider La Mer a symphony. I should have specified, sorry.

[vandermolen]

Let's have another go:

Weinberg
Shebalin
Sauguet
Lilburn
Popov

[Roasted Swan]

Walton
Shostakovich
Nielsen
Bliss
Elgar

[SymphonicAddict]

I don't remember my first choices, but here it goes:

Langgaard
Walton
Schmidt
Bortkiewicz
Rangström

[Daverz]

Beethoven
Dutilleux
Martinu
Irving Fine
Harold Shapero

[vandermolen]

I think most of us can agree that the first symphonies of Brahms, Beethoven, Mahler, Elgar, Sibelius, Walton, Barber, and Nielsen are highly accomplished. I'll add five lesser-known examples:

Martinu
Atterberg
Berwald
Bernstein (well-represented on record but hardly ever played in the concert hall)
Casella

Honorable mentions: Roussel, Tippett, Scriabin, Kalinnikov, Rorem, Gordon Jacob

I hope to be seeing the Bernstein live on 10th August in London. 

[André]

Elgar
Sibelius
Popov
Rachmaninoff
Vaugan-Williams

And of course a dozen or so others already mentioned that are probably just as worthy.

In the 'lone ranger' category, young Georges Bizet and old César Franck deserve a mention.

[relm1]

Sorabji's First Symphony for piano, large orchestra, chorus and organ is the best first I've heard.*

Written for: Orchestra
Instruments: 6 5 5 5/8 5 4 1/tym prc 2rp pno org/SATB/strs
Date composed: 1921–22
Dedicatee: Madelaine Mathilde Sorabji
Approximate duration (minutes): 100
Manuscript pages: 300



* Ok, sorry, I was lying.  The work has not been performed, recorded, nor broadcast. 

I also like Halvor Haug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8odRgY4C-sI

Otherwise the usual suspects...Rachmaninoff, Mahler, Vaughan Williams, Sibelius, Popov, Brian, Walton, Prokofiev, Dukas, Arnold, etc.

[vandermolen]

Elgar
Sibelius
Popov
Rachmaninoff
Vaugan-Williams

And of course a dozen or so others already mentioned that are probably just as worthy.

In the 'lone ranger' category, young Georges Bizet and old César Franck deserve a mention.

These are all amongst my favourites.

[vandermolen]

List No.3

Walton
Sauguet
Popov
Raid
Arnold