Symphony No.1 (NCPE. Nieweg)

Sergei Prokofiev's “Symphony No. 1 in D major”, Op. 25, was composed in 1917 and bears the nickname "Classical Symphony" — a title the composer chose himself to make his intentions clear: he wanted to explore what Haydn might have sounded like had he been a contemporary of the twentieth century. The work is deliberately classical in style, following the four-movement structure of the Viennese Classical period and adhering to a lean, transparent orchestration.

Yet the score unmistakably betrays its modern origins. Surprising harmonic twists, mischievous rhythmic displacements, and an ironic, witty tone run throughout all four movements, lending the work its distinctly Prokofievian character. The third movement in particular, a Gavotte, became world-famous and later inspired the composer to incorporate it into his ballet “Romeo and Juliet”.

This edition is based on the critically revised version by Clinton F. Nieweg (NCPE) and provides orchestras with a reliable, source-based foundation for performance practice. The “Symphony No. 1” ranks among the most frequently performed symphonic works of the early twentieth century and remains a highlight of the orchestral repertoire.