Composers with only one, but great symphony

[eschiss1]

I'm inclined to add the Moeran (even though his attempt at a 2nd has been reconstructed).  A bit flawed, but if "great" doesn't apply (I'm not sure it doesn't) then thrilling and stunning can, at least...
Arriaga?

[alberto]

Vorisek (1821)? The third Movement appears to me un uncanny premonition of Schumann.

[eschiss1]

Well, count me in as a fan of Vorisek's symphony in any case at all (though the name I seem to recall thinking when I first heard it was either Schubert or Brahms. I think it was Brahms, oddly. Well, I probably hadn't heard -that- much for comparison yet... !)

[alberto]

Once again at the borders between classical and romantic, I would suggest Cherubini's only effort a masterful work (if not really a masterpiece).

[leonagy]

For me, Hans Rott is a great composers ,and he has composed one? but great symphony

[eschiss1]

One symphony in E (1878-80?), sketches of a second, but more importantly than those sketches, 3 movements of a symphony for strings in A-flat (ca.1874-75?) (see description.) I think that incomplete string symphony's complete enough that it's been performed despite the absence of a finale (ah. Yes, a recording is noted. Still, wouldn't consider it a counterexample, not really.) (Besides this incidentally and by the way there are some other complete works listed at the site.)

[Paul Barasi]

Rott's symphony was finished by the end of July 1880 (except for some edits made in August). There are only a few crazed pages of Rott 2, which he had worked on from January-July 1880 concurrently with composing the 1st symphony finale and polishing the whole thing. It is apparent that he intended to go straight on with a second one and possibly he got somewhat further on paper than what has survived.

Probably the last of his orchestral works to be premiered (in 2014 - 25 years after the symphony was first performed in its entirety and recorded) will be the Hamlet Overture (composed 1876).

[semloh]

I go along with the comments so far. Hard to pick a truly great one-only symphony by an unsung composer, and there are so many that fall into that "not bad at all" category.

I was going to nominate Frederic Cliffe's 1889 Symphony in C minor .... then checked to make sure it was indeed his only symphony and was shocked to see that a 2nd was published in 2010 - I missed that along the way! So, I'll go with Amy Beach's Gaelic, which I think falls into the 'rather good' category! 

Edit: Oh! I just read the thread about the Toccata recording of Mielcke - so must definitely add here his wonderful Symphony in F minor, Op.4.

[FBerwald]

Ernest Chausson's Symphony in B-flat Major

[jdperdrix]

Juan Crisostomo de Arriaga's only symphony in D is (to me) a masterpiece.

[jimmosk]

To honor his passing, I must mention Harold Shapero, whose 1947 Symphony for Classical Orchestra is a masterwork in my book.

-J

--
Jim Moskowitz
The Unknown Composers Page:  http://kith.org/jimmosk/TOC.html
My latest list of unusual classical CDs for auction:  https://tinyurl.com/jimmosk42

[BFerrell]

Thank you for that Jim!  You are indeed correct. He was my great friend. I was reluctant to post this due to the Ten Commandments.

[eschiss1]

Well, it's not great either, but Nepomuceno's only symphony seems to me to be very very good too.

[musiclover]

How about the Symphony of Felix Blumenfeld. I love that piece and which he had written another. Actually if he's written a lot more for the orchestra it would have been interesting as his orchestration is fantastic in his only symphony.

[eschiss1]

aside from at least one other orchestral work, an Allegro for piano and orchestra I don't know if he did. Hrm. (Oh. There's both that op.7 and also a mazurka op.10 for orchestra.)