Opus 1

[semloh]

I agree that the Bronsart trio is very impressive, but I think my favourite Op.1 chamber work would probably be the gorgeous Piano Quartet in A minor by Suk, just ahead of the beautiful String Quartet in A minor by Svendsen.

For a concerto, it's Stenhammar's first piano concerto (I defy anyone to resist that Andante!), and when it comes to orchestral Opus Ones there is no doubt - for me, it's Sullivan's incidental music to The Tempest. Gade's Concert Overture - Echoes of Ossian and Cliffe's Symphony No.1 in C minor are amazing Op.1s, and follow some distance behind.... 

[Ilja]

Allow me to nominate Atterberg's Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 1. Not a bad start to a career.

[eschiss1]

(This really should be in the "other forum", one notes.) I haven't heard it and I doubt it's been recorded, but a historically important opus 1, I think, would be Ernst Naumann's- the first sonata (intended primarily) for (standard) viola* and piano ever to be published (1854). (Mendelssohn's C minor sonata was composed before Naumann was born, but not published until a century and more afterwards. Beware that tendency to confuse composition and publication dates in worklists, etc.)

*as against viola d'amore, "viola da gamba" (which is not a viola), etc. Also not counting Onslow's sonatas for violin (or cello or viola) and piano, and other sonatas with viola alternates... (the Naumann has a violin alternate, I think- haven't seen it yet, but such is the description I've seen.) Such music as I have seen and heard (a quintet, thanks to Matesic) by Naumann encourages me to want to hear the viola sonata, anycase,  not just because I used to be a (poor...) amateur violist.

[eschiss1]

It's mentioned in another thread that Peterson-Berger's opus 1 is a violin sonata (just recorded). Hugo Alfven's opus 1 is a violin sonata too; the score is available, and I know it's available on recording- has anyone heard it, any impressions? How good an entry-work is Novak's first piano trio (1892) (op.1 in G minor- the trio quasi una ballata trio op.27 in D minor is his trio no.2, that is...)? I'm curious... (in Novak's case, as with Ferdinand Hiller, there seem to be quite a few works preceding, but that's op.1)

(Edit - op.27. Novak's op.22 is of course the first of his three string quartets.)

Hrm. I was going to mention Vitols' symphony in E minor, but IMSLP's list seems pretty sure that Vitols' symphony is w/o opus number, and gives opus 1 to his piano sonata in B-flat minor. (Has that been recorded, I wonder? Ah. Yes, on Melodiia, in the 1970s, and I think on CD in 2006 also- there's a video on YouTube... The score (pub.1886 by Belaieff) is uploaded, anycase... apologies for throwing a couple of things out, though hoping that those who've heard them have a notion which really belong in a best-of list...)

(... among most impressive post-Baroque opus 1s sung or unsung, Schubert's song Erlkönig probably deserves its turn too, though one forgets of late that it was indeed his opus 1.)

[Peter1953]

I've just listened to Tovey's delightful Piano Trio in B minor, Opus 1.

[FBerwald]

Carl Nielsen's Little Suite for Strings, Op. 1. Hauntingly beautiful and a mature Op. 1!

[chill319]

This forum is amazing. Such riches. Thanks, everyone.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Indeed - one could almost live on all the Opus 1s mentioned here!

Just by chance I have revisited three Opus 1s in the last 2 days:

Suk: Piano Quartet in A minor (already mentioned by both Eric and Semloh - so it must be good!)

Dvorak: String Quintet 1 in A minor - a bit sneaky since it was Op 1 on the traditional catalogue, but now Burghauser 7.

And I can't resist the mention although it is not a romantic work and hence outside the scope of the forum (but forgive the rule-breaking): Britten's Sinfonia - was ever such a dazzling and technically accomplished work written by a teenager?

Hardly an example of sophisticated music criticism, but, oh golly, do not these works make one so heartily glad to be alive!

[eschiss1]

Bit confused about the Dvorak sometimes, since it's a posthumously-published opus 1 (not published at all I think until - 50 years ago or so?) but it's a really good piece, if, of course in part because it wasn't published, not as stunning a "hello world here I am" as some others...

[TerraEpon]

Dvorak's Op. catalog is very messy, enough that I use the B numbers as a whole.

And if you wanna go by those....B 1 is "Forget Me Not Polka" which for some reason isn't recorded (I don't have it noted as lost...). B 2 is a destroyed mass. B3  which IS recorded on both the Naxos and Brillant complete piano cycles is also a polka -- and it's a very nice little piece.
After that, 4, 5, 6 are all lost, so said Op. 1 is still the first large multi-movement work in the catalog (and interestingly, B 8 is a string quintet....B 9 is Symphony No. 1)

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Yes, very messy indeed.

Maybe the mistake is mine, but as B 8 I've got down the 1st String Quartet (not String Quintet).

I've got listed three String Quintets:

No. 1 is the present Op 1 = B 7 in A minor
No. 2 is Op 77 = B 49 in G major
No. 3 is Op 97 = B 180 in E flat major

Nos 1 and 3 are scored for 2 vn, 2 va & vc.
No. 2 for 2 vn, 1 va, 1 vc & double bass (though in one of my 3 recordings it is played with 2 va instead of va & db).

Whatever the messiness of the catalogue all are glorious works, and should be sung far more often. It is, in fact, a great pity that some of Dvorak is very much sung (but in my book can never be oversung), and a vast number of works (including those for solo piano) are very much undersung. I reckon that if I was restricted to a choice of just one composer to listen to in the great hereafter, then you couldn't go far wrong with Dvorak.

[TerraEpon]

Yeah, my  mistake. -_-