Symphony No. 1 (Sibelius)

The Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op 39 by Jean Sibelius was born in 1899 and has a playing time of about 44 minutes. The work was premiered on 26 April 1899 by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of the composer, but in the original version, which has not survived. After the premiere, Sibelius made ​​some changes prior to the socket, in which the symphony is played today. This revised version was completed in the spring and summer of 1900 and was first performed on 18 July 1900 in Berlin, again by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, but now under the direction of Robert Kajanus. He also conducted the first recording session, which was made with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1930.

In Reclams concert guide the symphony is described as a " bitter work", here consider a Lonely communing with the forces of nature that she was " filled with expressions of longing, lamentation, pain. "

Barry Millington wrote in 1991 in the booklet to the recording of the complete symphonies with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle 1984-88: " The First Symphony joins youth and maturity, sensitivity and passion, light and shadow each other; these contrasts are highlighted in the final with a refreshing, stimulating starkness. "

Instrumentation: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, a, timpani, harp, percussion, strings