Composers who wrote just one symphony

[eschiss1]

Yes, Albert Hermann Dietrich wrote symphonies in D minor and C major- or at least parts exist for the latter, I'm not sure enough to be performable and I'm not sure it's complete. RISM does list 8 instrumental parts for a 3-movement C major symphony "par Mmre Dytrych" [sic] which they assume probably rightly to be by Albert Dietrich, though (and give an incipit for the first movement, based on the manuscript copy held at Biblioteka Studium OO. Dominikanów. Archiwum Prowincji OO. Dominikanów, Kraków.) It may be more complete than that, though- that's just all that RISM actually lists, that doesn't mean that's all that exists (well, they also give a literature reference which may give more information. See RISM ID 300257497.) Again, there may be more about, and of, this symphony elsewhere- if it's complete, then it'd count against (this list inclusion) but for (recording! ) ... Re Bizet's Roma: ok- in that case, if he'd washed his hands of his symphony in C, then that leaves...
one symphony. (I rather consider Stenhammar as having written only one symphony, also- the G minor - also because he disowned the other, in this case for good reason- and regard the F major as more a no.0 and curiosity than a "no.1", but- anyway.)

[eschiss1]

Re Richard Franck- do we know that the D major symphony (manuscript, ca.1901) is even complete? (I have no idea what Wikipedia-de's sources are, so can't guess...)

[Wheesht]

Richard Franck's musical estate - including unpublished manuscripts - is in the possession of Prof. Paul Feuchte, the composer's grandson - see [http://www.leo-bw.de/web/guest/detail/-/Detail/details/PERSON/kgl_biographien/11913814X/Franck+(-Bernoulli)+Richard+August+Adolf]. As I am based in Switzerland - just an hour from Basel, where Franck lived and worked in the early 1880s, I'll try and have a look at what is available in the libraries there.

[eschiss1]

Thanks!

(Assuming, maybe wrongly, that Jongen is being included for his Symphonie concertante, then hoping that some of the other composers listed didn't have both a symphony and a symphonie concertante in their outputs ;^) (the wonderful to my mind Frank Martin, who's too late for this forum, comes to mind there but is not in your list in any case .))

Is there an Ippolitov-Ivanov 2nd symphony? I think he belongs too, and that first one's quite nice (and happily multiply recorded.) Then also from that "general region" there's Vasily Kalafati (Greek-born Rimsky pupil; 1869-1942), symphony in A minor, op.12 published 1912 (reduction at IMSLP, liked what I saw but haven't heard it.)

1790 - Georg(e) Gerson (many of his manuscripts now uploaded to Danish Library and to IMSLP ; only a few works published commercially at the time) - symphony in E-flat, G.76 (1817), recorded.
1806 - Johannes Frøhlich (symphony in E-flat, op.33, 1833)- recorded, according to Michael Herman.

(Not sure if that Moszkowski symphony - the one whose manuscript is at the BNF... - is complete and performable, either- Investigations are hopefully underway, though; I know I'm very curious...)

[Balapoel]

I couldn't imagine why Martin wouldn't be appropriate here...
I haven't found any recordings (LP or otherwise) for Ippolitov's Symphony No. 2, Karelia (1935), which is a bit odd, since so much of his orchestral work is recorded.

other unfinished/lost:
Gustav Jenner - Symphony (unfinished): 2 movements (Adagio, Scherzo)
Alkan - Symphony in b minor (1844) (lost)

Others (just going through my full-composer files; there probably will be some overlap with my earlier list). If there is interest, I can go beyond the A-Bs.
Ansorge - Symphony 'Orpheus'
Balfe - Symphony (1820)
Barnett - Symphony in a minor (Musical Society of London, 15th June 1864)
Bella - Symphony in b minor (30'), another symphony in c minor (1881) is a fragment.
Berger, Ludwig - Symphony in D, Op. 42 (1843)
Biarent - Symphony in d minor
Bishop - Grand sinfonia, c-C, 1 movt, 1805, GB-Lbl
Blodek - Symphony in d minor
Blumenfeld - Symphony in c minor
Bonis - Symphonie burlesque , opus 185 posthume, pièce pour orchestre d'enfant, Manuscrit
Brull - Symphony in e minor, Op. 31
Bystrom - Symphony in d minor

[Balapoel]

At least 2 of the "one symphony" composers actually composed a 2nd symphony, but it has been lost.  Right off the top of my head, Goetz and Dietrich come to mind.

And you missed Dukas (in C Major, 1895), Balapoel.

Dukas is listed by his year of birth.

(And besides Bizet, Alberto Nepomuceno (1864-1920) should have come to my mind immediately too as someone whose singleton symphony made a strong impression- will listen again very soon, I think- and which I'm particularly add to the list.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) belongs too- his Symphony in C; his symphony in E is really no more a counter-example to the "1-symphony" listing rule than is Moeran's "symphony no.2", although it is more elaborated. Or are we really counting such very incomplete works too now?

Bizet has at least two symphonies to his credit (whether he wanted to take credit or not).
Symphony [No. 1] in C (1855)
Symphony (1859) -destroyed
Symphony [No. 2] in C 'Roma' (1868)

[Alan Howe]

I couldn't imagine why Martin wouldn't be appropriate here...

Well, it's hardly a romantic symphony. Here's an excerpt from a review at MusicWeb:

The four movement Symphony [31.45] is a work dating from two years before the outbreak of the Second World War. It has something in common with the Second Symphony of Kurt Weill though being less gawky and, at one level, a more tranquil work. The premiere was given in Martin's native Geneva under the baton of Ernest Ansermet but rapidly dropped out of the picture so far as concert-hall attention was concerned. The work is inflected by a user-friendly brand of serialism but the inflection is pretty gentle. The saxophone rises from time to time out of the aural fabric as also do the two pianos played by Roderick Elms and Ian Watson. Voice spotting: along the way splashes of Stravinsky and Ravel but nothing to tempt you to slate the piece as hollowly derivative. The Largo is cool, candid, subtle, of great emotive moment, reflective and providing a secure centre of gravity for the work. The music grows noticeably brighter (more candle-power) as it proceeds. The rush and scrimmage of the scherzo still finds room for the lyrical side illumined by vibraphone. The finale's opening shudder and piano display recalls Martinu's Concerto for piano and double string orchestra. The clarinet's capering banshee rolls take us back to Kurt Weill territory with hints also of Peter Mennin.
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2000/dec00/martin.htm

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric, for the details of Dietrich's "Second Symphony" and apologies to Jim for being a doubting Thomas.

[Balapoel]

Hmm. This is interesting since the term 'serialism' as applied to music was introduced 32 years after Martin's symphony. The very earliest 12-tone music appeared only 7 years before the symphony. I haven't heard it, so I can't comment directly, though I can say that much of Martin's oeuvre would fit the romantic definitions for the reboot, particularly the chamber music. And the Weill symphonies all postdate this by some time (post-WWI), the second one was nearly 20 years later than Martin. Anyway, plenty of other single-symphony composers to discuss...

Quick edit: I see where you got the info for a symphony by Martin, which dates to 1937. We're talking about 2 different works - one dating from 1915 and another dating from 1937.

I meant this one: Symphonie burlesque sur des mélodies populaires savoyardes, 1915; cond. P. Secretan, Geneva, Feb 1916

[eschiss1]

Oh, I definitely thought you were referring to the 1937 Martin Symphony recorded by Bamert on Chandos. Now serial and 12-tone are rather different things anyway (which often coexist/overlap) - 12-tone refers to a tendency toward total chromaticism (starting with themes using all 12 tones, etc. etc.), serial to a tendency toward a certain way of controlling the music (not exactly right, but not going into more detail outside of PM- not that I am any sort of expert anyways.) It sounds like the 1937 symphony may be the former - easier to detect with the unaided ear - but not necessarily the latter.
In any case, sounds like, if the Jongen means that symphonies concertantes qualify as "symphonies", then Martin would fail to qualify for this list for about frog-knows different reasons... (forum restrictions, too many symphonies- the Symphonie burlesque, symphonie concertante (arr. of his petite symphonie concertante), symphonie of 1937)...) - so-- anyways. Hrm.
As to Reissiger, I still don't know of a 2nd symphony but gather his 1st was published as his first, which is not unusual even when no 2nd ever follows (though it was once more usual, I suppose, to just publish it as "Symphony". As I said, I'm still amused that my - presumably reprint - copy of Frankel's Op.33 still says "Symphony Op.33" on the cover even though there might be some reason by now to add "No.1" on the cover. Maybe too few sales to justify.)

[Amphissa]

Let's not forget the fine Symphony in B-flat (1891) by Ernest Chausson.

[eschiss1]

The Chausson is already in the list (if you were referring to the list on page 1 ). Were you looking under 1855 or 1891? They're listed by composer's birthdate, not date of composition or publication. (Where known, I suppose!)

[Alan Howe]

I meant this one: Symphonie burlesque sur des mélodies populaires savoyardes, 1915; cond. P. Secretan, Geneva, Feb 1916

I do beg your pardon. I'd never heard of the piece!

[Balapoel]

If there is interest, a recent website posted here with a VERY long list of symphonists (~ yields about 327 composers of 1 symphony born between 1760 and 1880). I haven't checked out all of these, but if people want, I could post them here.

For example, here are the Ukranians
Bortńanśký, Dmytro   1751   1825
Puchaľśký, Volodymyr   1848   1933
Kalačevśký, Mychajlo   1851   1910
Sokaľśký, Volodymyr   1863   1920
Blumenfeľd, Feliks   1863   1931
Jacynevyč, Jakiv   1869   1945
Senyća, Pavlo   1879   1960

[eschiss1]

hrm. Well, Kalachevsky and Blumenfeld are familiar - didn't known Bortnyansky wrote a symphony, though that's good news - MusicSack claims that should be Vladimir Pukhalsky/Puchalski, but maybe that's the Russian Slavic form ; intriguing (hadn't heard of him, but he taught Lev Ornstein, was musicologist, pianist, as well as teacher and composer...) (Also listed in Elson (Modern Music and Musicians) as having composed a symphony is an Ivan Popoff (*1859) - erm... ok, will look into, anyway...)