Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 in E♭ by the Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

n composer George Enescu

George Enescu

George Enescu was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher.-Biography:Enescu was born in the village of Liveni , Dorohoi County at the time, today Botoşani County. He showed musical talent from early in his childhood. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical...

 reflects the composer's training in both Vienna and Paris. In the former location he studied the Brahmsian tradition with Robert Fuchs

Robert Fuchs

Robert Fuchs was an Austrian composer and music teacher.As Professor of music theory at the Vienna Conservatory, Fuchs taught many notable composers, while he was himself a highly regarded composer in his lifetime....

, and in the latter the French tradition with Jules Massenet

Jules Massenet

Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas...

 and Gabriel Fauré

Gabriel Fauré

Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...

 (Botstein [n.d.]).

The symphony falls into three movements

Movement (music)

A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...

:

• Assez vif et rythmé
• Lent
• Vif et vigoureux

The first movement is dominated by the three component motives of the first theme, announced in unison at the beginning (Voicana et al. 1971, 1:306).

The Symphony was premiered on Sunday, 21 January 1906 at the Théâtre du Châtelet

Théâtre du Châtelet

The Théâtre du Châtelet is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.One of two theatres built on the site of a châtelet, a small castle or fortress, it was designed by Gabriel Davioud at the request of Baron Haussmann between 1860 and...

 in Paris, on the fourteenth concert of the 1905–06 series of the Concerts Colonne

Concerts Colonne

The Colonne Orchestra is a French symphony orchestra, founded in 1873 by the violinist and conductor Édouard Colonne.-History:While leader of the Opéra de Paris orchestra, Édouard Colonne was engaged by the publisher Georges Hartmann to lead a series of popular concerts which he founded under the...

, conducted by Édouard Colonne

Édouard Colonne

Édouard Juda Colonne was a French conductor and violinist, who was a champion of the music of Berlioz and other eminent 19th-century composers.-Life and career:...

 (Voicana et al. 1971, 1:311–12). It was published by Enoch et co., Paris, in 1906.

Traditionally, at the opening of the George Enescu Festival

George Enescu Festival

The George Enescu Festival , held in honor of the celebrated Romanian composer George Enescu, is the biggest classical music festival and classical international competition held in Romania and one of the biggest in Eastern Europe...

, Enescu's first Symphony is the first composition to be played.

Discography

• Enescu, George. Simfonia 1-a in mi bemol major, op. 13. Orchestra Simfonica a Filarmonicii de Stat "George Enescu" din Bucureşti, George Georgescu, cond. Electrecord ECD 58 (LP), ca. 1960–69. Reissued on Artia ALP 118 (LP)
• Enescu, George. Symphony No. 1, Sinfonia Concertante for Cello & Orchestra, Op. 8. George Enescu State Philharmonic, Mihai Brediceanu, cond. (Symphony); Valentin Arcu, cello; Orchestra of the Romanian Radio and Television, Iosif Conta, cond. (Sinfonia Concertante). Marco Polo 8.223141 (CD). [N.p.]: Pacific Music Co., Ltd., 1988. Reissued (streaming audio) Naxos Music Library, 2004.
• Enescu, George. Orchestral Works, Volume 3. Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major, op. 13; Vox maris, op. 31. Philharmonia Moldova, Alexander Lascae, cond. With Marius Budoiu, tenor; The Gavril Musicescu Choir (Doru Morariu, choir master). Ottavo OTR C59346 (CD). The Hague: Ottavo Recordings, 1994.
• Enescu, George. Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 1. Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major, op. 13; Romanian Overture; Study Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major. Romanian National Radio Orchestra, Horia Andreescu, cond. Electrecord [catalog number and date unknown] Reissued, Olympia Explorer Series. Olympia OCD 441 (CD). London: Olympia Compact Discs Ltd., 1994.
• Enescu, George. Symphony No. 1; Suite No. 3 'Villageoise. BBC Philharmonic, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, cond. Chandos CHAN 9507 (CD).
• Enescu, George. Symphonies 1 et 2. Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Lawrence Foster, cond. EMI Classics CDC 7 54763 2 (0777 7 54763 2) [N.p.]: EMI France, 1993.
• Enescu, George. Suite d'orchestre no. 1; Intermède op. 12; Symphony no. 1. "George Enescu" Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, Cristian Mandeal, conductor. Arte Nova 74321 37314 2 (CD). [Germany]: Arte Nova, 1996. Reissued Arte Nova 373140 (CD). [Germany]: Arte Nova, 2007.