Symphony No. 1 in D minor
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Work background
Researched classical background
Rachmaninoff's First Symphony opens with a forceful motto that helps bind its four movements. Its unsuccessful 1897 premiere overshadowed the work for decades. After the composer's death, surviving orchestral parts made reconstruction possible when the full score could no longer be found. The recovered symphony allows listeners to hear this early, ambitious orchestral statement beyond the history of its first reception.
A listening guide
Listen for the opening motto recurring in changed forms across the work.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Orchestra
Composition: 1895
Composed in 1895; 1897 is the premiere year. The performed score has a posthumous reconstruction history.
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Date, title and version notes
The original full score is lost; surviving parts underpin the reconstructed performing text.
Boosey & Hawkes: Rachmaninoff First Symphony
1895 composition, Op.13, D minor and orchestral identity | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Musikproduktion Hoflich: Rachmaninoff First Symphony preface
Opening motto, failed premiere and posthumous reconstruction from parts | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
Boosey & Hawkes: Rachmaninoff First Symphony
1895 composition, Op.13, D minor and orchestral identity | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Musikproduktion Hoflich: Rachmaninoff First Symphony preface
Opening motto, failed premiere and posthumous reconstruction from parts | Reviewed 2026-10-19
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