Mendelssohn · Felix Mendelssohn
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 1 in C minor
A fifteen-year-old's first full symphony
- Key
- C minor
- Composed
- 1824
- Premiere
- 1827 Leipzig
- Duration
- about 30 min
- Movements
- 4 movements
- Instrumentation
- Woodwinds 2·2·2·2 · Brass 2·2·0·0 · Timpani · Strings
The story behind this piece
Mendelssohn wrote this in 1824, at the age of fifteen. Since he had already written twelve string symphonies in 1821–1823, the score is said to have been marked "Symphony No. 13" at first. It is the first symphony he wrote for an orchestra that also included wind instruments.
It was publicly premiered in 1827 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, and for a London performance in 1829 he even replaced the 3rd-movement minuet with the scherzo from his own String Octet, reorchestrated for orchestra.
What to listen for
- Opening of the 1st movement: it plunges straight in with forceful C minor chords that are hard to believe came from a fifteen-year-old.
Listen · Score
- Hear the full piece on YouTube · hr-Sinfonieorchester · Paavo Järvi
- Free scores on IMSLP (full score and parts)
Credits