Opus 1

[chill319]

I'd enjoy hearing what are the most impressive post-Baroque opus 1s for other forum members? (I'm avoiding the plural, opera, on purpose.) For me, the first names that come to mind are Beethoven, Draeseke, Brahms, Stenhammar, and Dohnányi. To make the game harder, let's restrict ourselves to composers, preferably unsung, who actually used opus numbers. Had Sibelius designated his breakthrough work, the first A-minor string quartet, as opus 1, I would also have included it in the list. But he didn't. So I have to cheat and talk about it anyway.

I'm hoping we can compile a list of really really good opus 1s (or numerical near misses) from the romantic period and not just a laundry list of opus 1s.

[jerfilm]

Here are several that come to mind - not all, I guess, masterpieces, but......

Sterndale-Bennett Piano Concerto 31 in d
Rozycki King's Fool sym poem
Cliff  Symphony #1 in c
Burgmuller Piano Concerto in f#
Smyth String Quintet in E
Converse Violin Sonata in A

I'd say most of these are fairly impressive

jerry

[eschiss1]

Ooh... I agree, what were some really good ones- a challenge (not a challenge as in there are none, but what were the best of the best unsung Romantic Master Pieces, "Hello I'm Here"s...)

*Hans Bronsart(von Schellendorf)'s opus 1 trio (really good piece...)
*Hrm, maybe Josef Suk's piano quartet opus 1 ? (Does he still count?)

I agree about the five names (including the Dohnanyi- what a lovely first quintet. The 2nd one isn't bad either, but the first quintet- even if it's the finale that stays most in -my- mind- is lovely ) - ... er... anyway.) I have this notion I should be able to add to these two names above with no difficulty at all, but for now, Bronsart's trio and Suk's quartet (the Suk not his best work, not when compared to the wonderful 2nd string quartet or to Asrael, but an impressive opener all the same.) (I'd include Xaver Scharwenka's piano trio op.1, if I but knew it!)

[eschiss1]

btw among sung composers even the first version of Rimsky's opus 1, his first symphony, is also really impressive as I recall but yes, such a list becomes difficult to construct in any case. Ah well!! (... hrm. Niels Gade is considered wholly sung in this forum, isn't he )

[JimL]

Among the sung composers also, how could you forget Rachmaninoff's 1st PC?  OK, so he revised it years later.  Still, he kept it as Op. 1...

[eschiss1]

there -is- a recording or  two of the earlier verisons of Rach 1 (and of Rach 4), I think, but yes, usually when people think of those works (when they think of those lesser-known of his 4 concertos) it's the revisions, I think.

Guessing that Hiller's opus 1 (the first of his piano quartets - though it may be his second opus 1, judging from an account in a journal - well- hrm. His own ms. worklist may clarify that bit) might have been moderately impressive if in a needs-work sort of way (like his early string quartets from around the same time which had viola chords that went below the Cline, glub, glub. Watch it, pianists. Thanks to friend for pointing that'n out...) I think I have heard Pfitzner's opus 1, a fine cello sonata.

(Guessing I'd want to include Thuille's opus 1 (violin sonata no.1) once I hear it. I may have to get that new Naxos CD ... ok, ok. (And Reger's op.1 - same genre, same instrumentation, same key...))

[Hilleries]

Gade's Echoes of Ossian is quite a feat for an Opus 1...

[TerraEpon]

While I'm not too big on his Op. 1 No. 1 (Scherzo ala Russe), Op. 1 No. 2 (Impromptu in Eb) of Tchaikovsky is a very nice bold piece.

And Johann Strauss Jr.'s Op. 1 is fine waltz as much as any of his earlier work.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. Sticking with fairly obscure composers whose opus 1s I've heard, Ernst Mielck's opus 1, a string quartet in G minor (1895?), is good stuff...

[thalbergmad]

The Donizetti Variations by Henselt is a stunning fully blown romantic work.

Used to keep it in my repertoire until the effort to keep it there became too much.

Thal

[arpeggio]

The obvious Romantic-period works would be, I guess, the first Rachmaninov concerto, the Brahms piano sonata and Chopin's Rondo (though it's the weakest of the three). The post famous op.1 might well be the Berg Sonata, but that's obviously outwith the thread specifcations.

Amongst comparatively unsung composers, Alkan's Steibelt variations spring to mind, as does (for obvious personal reasons!) the Martucci paraphrase on La Forza del Destino.

[X. Trapnel]

Dohnanyi's Piano Quintet no 1., op. 1. A masterpiece for sure

[X. Trapnel]

Sorry, I missed Dohnanyi's name in the first post

[Gareth Vaughan]

Oscar Raif: Piano Concerto (no recording, alas - but I have read the score)
Also, I must second Eric's nomination of the Op. 1 Piano Trio of Bronsart - it's a really good piece.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Not a masterpiece - but in my view a hugely enjoyable work. And far better than its reputation (which is largely attributable to commentators who haven't paused to give it much of a chance) - Hamilton Harty's String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 1 from 1900.