Symphony Map

Symphony Map: 18 composers, 113 symphonies and their stories

113 symphonies by 18 composers, from Haydn to Shostakovich. For each one we've collected how it came to be, what to listen for, and its key, year, premiere, duration, and instrumentation, with sources.

Viennese Classical

HaydnJoseph Haydn · 1732–1809 · Austria · 104 symphonies104 numbered symphonies alone, the elder statesman of the Viennese Classical school MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart · 1756–1791 · Austria · 41 symphoniesBorn in Salzburg, 41 symphonies in a 35-year life BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven · 1770–1827 · Germany · 9 symphonies9 symphonies that built the bridge from Classical to Romantic

Romantic

SchubertFranz Schubert · 1797–1828 · Austria · 8 symphoniesA Viennese composer who died at 31, most of whose symphonies premiered after his death MendelssohnFelix Mendelssohn · 1809–1847 · Germany · 5 symphoniesA prodigy who wrote his first symphony at 15 and put the scenery of his travels into music SchumannRobert Schumann · 1810–1856 · Germany · 4 symphoniesA Romantic piano poet who took up the symphony after marrying Clara BrahmsJohannes Brahms · 1833–1897 · Germany · 4 symphoniesA Romantic master who spent 20 years in Beethoven's shadow before publishing his first symphony FranckCésar Franck · 1822–1890 · France/Belgium · 1 symphonyA Belgian-born organist-composer who worked in Paris Saint-SaënsCamille Saint-Saëns · 1835–1921 · France/Belgium · 3 symphoniesA French Romantic composer also renowned as a pianist and organist TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky · 1840–1893 · Russia · 6 symphoniesRich melody and passion, the leading figure of the Russian Romantic symphony

Late Romantic

BrucknerAnton Bruckner · 1824–1896 · Austria · 9 symphoniesRevised and revised again, a composer of cathedral-sized symphonies MahlerGustav Mahler · 1860–1911 · Austria · 9 symphoniesA composer of vast symphonies that called for choruses and even offstage brass

Nationalist

DvořákAntonín Dvořák · 1841–1904 · Czech Republic · 9 symphoniesA master of Czech nationalism who brought Bohemian melodies into the symphony SibeliusJean Sibelius · 1865–1957 · Nordic · 7 symphoniesA composer who carved Finland's nature and spirit into his symphonies BorodinAlexander Borodin · 1833–1887 · Russia · 2 symphoniesA "Sunday composer" whose day job was professor of chemistry Rimsky-KorsakovNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov · 1844–1908 · Russia · 3 symphoniesA former naval officer and master of brilliant orchestral color BalakirevMily Balakirev · 1837–1910 · Russia · 2 symphoniesThe leader of the nationalist school who headed the Russian Five

20th century

ShostakovichDmitri Shostakovich · 1906–1975 · Russia · 15 symphoniesA 20th-century master who captured the Soviet era in 15 symphonies