Composers who wrote just one symphony

[Wheesht]

According to the NKFCD liner notes, it was indeed first performed in Oslo (then called Kristiania) in 1882 - it was begun in Leipzig between 1876-79 during the composer's  student years.

[Leea25]

I can add a few 'minor' Russian's (and surrounding countries) to this list.

Apollon Gussakovsky has an unfinished Symphony from 1860.
Moussorgsky apparently wrote a youthful Symphony in D major, dating from 1862. I'm not sure if he ever finished it.
Another unfinished - Mikola Lysenko's from 1869.
Leonid Malashkin's single example dates from 1873. He was primarily a composer of songs.
One very interesting piece is Mikhailo Kalashevsky's from 1876, titled 'Ukrainian' - probably by his publisher. This is apparently the first Ukrainian symphony and it has also been recorded.
Pavel Blaramberg's only finished symphony, in B minor, dates from 1886. There's another unfinished one dated around 1907.
Catoire's Symphony in C minor dates from 1889, or 1899, depending upon where you look.
Vassily Vrangel's single symphony dates from 1894, as does Nikolai Kazanli's Symphony in F minor (though he wrote a Sinfonietta in G minor a few years before).
Arseny Koreshchenko's Lyrical Symphony in A flat major Op.23 dates from 1895 - I'm fairly sure this is his only example.
Mikolajus Ciurlionis has a Symphony in D minor from 1902, though again, I'm not sure if it is complete.
Paul Juon only wrote one full-blown symphony, the Op.23 in A minor from 1903.
The completely unheard of Yevgeny Bukke has a single Symphony, dated 1906.
Equally unheard of is Yuri Sakhnovsky, who's symphony dates from 1908.
Of course, then there is Blumenfeld's Symphony in C minor To the Beloved Dead Op.39 - his only example, I believe. A lovely piece of which there are a few recordings.
Another unheard-of is Sergei Shabelsky, who's only symphony dates from 1910 (although he wrote a Sinfonietta in 1954).
Alexander Alexandrov's single symphony dates from 1912.
Arkady Dubensky's Symphony in G minor dates from 1916 (he also composed a Fugue for 18 violins, a Suite for 9 flutes and an Overture for 18 toy trumpets!)
Alexander Yuranovsky's 'Spring Symphony' dates from 1918.

And there, I shall stop!

Lee

[Alan Howe]

Interesting. Apart from the Blumenfeld and Catoire, have you ever heard any of these symphonies?

[Leea25]

I remember I had heard of the Blaramberg for some reason, and the Kalashevsky, but none of the others, until I read about them! I can't imagine they are ever likely to be performed. I wonder if the parts or scores survive? The details are all from Feofanov and Ho's dictionary.

I forgot to add that Nikolai Zaremba (one of Tchaikovsky's teachers) wrote and un-dated single symphony too - from the same book.

Lee

Edit - apologies, Alan. I mis-read yoru reply. The answer is no, except for the Kalashevsky. I have a recording, but have not noted the source - part of me thinks it most likely it was from this forum!

[DennisS]

Leea25, you are quite right re- the Kalashevsky symphony. It was in the downloads on this forum. I downloaded it some time ago and listened to it a lot - very enjoyable, nice themes. Haven't listened ot it recently though. This is a timely reminder to listen to it again.

[JimL]

According to one source I've found, the Kalashevsky Ukrainian Symphony is his No. 2.  Which does not mean his 1st has survived, only that apparently somebody believes that there was one.

[Leea25]

Hi JimL,

I'd be very interested in knowing where you read that. The only mentions I've ever come across are in Feofanov and Ho's Dictionary and in the Dictionary published by the Ukrainian Composers' Union, both of which mention it as his only symphony. Neither is very forth coming with detailed work lists or much about his life, so they could well be wrong! In fact the Ukrainian dictionary lists it as his only purely orchestral work, which I find hard to believe.

Lee

[Alan Howe]

Grove has Catoire's Symphony Op.7 as dating from 1889. A lot of the references to 1899 seem to be associated with the Khaikin performance, so a mistake may simply have been repeated a number of times. On the other hand, Wikipedia has the opus numbers immediately before and after Op.7 as dating from 1897, which led to my assumption that the correct date was 1897. Oh dear!

[eschiss1]

I saw a similar source about the Kalashevsky symphony but never anything more convincing to back that up...

[Fronder]

Grove has Catoire's Symphony Op.7 as dating from 1889. A lot of the references to 1899 seem to be associated with the Khaikin performance, so a mistake may simply have been repeated a number of times. On the other hand, Wikipedia has the opus numbers immediately before and after Op.7 as dating from 1897, which led to my assumption that the correct date was 1897. Oh dear!

Soviet musical encyclopaedia:
composed - 1899
first performance - 1905

[Leea25]

Mmm... Grove    The more I use it the more I find it lacking. Very sad really. I once wrote to them, saying that they really should have composers listed as being alive, who died more than 10 years ago. They chap who wrote back was very apologetic. I rather got the impression they were short of staff and money. Shouldn't complain really - it's a massive resource, and completely free, on-line in the UK with your library card! 

[Alan Howe]

I'm sure that late 1890s for the Catoire must be correct. Maybe Dutton will enlighten us when their forthcoming recording comes out.

[Ilja]

I can add a few 'minor' Russian's (and surrounding countries) to this list.
[...]
Moussorgsky apparently wrote a youthful Symphony in D major, dating from 1862. I'm not sure if he ever finished it.
[...]

Mussorgski's unfinished symphony was apparently partly completed Arkady Leytush, and premiered in Kiev in 2008. He's put two movements online at his own Youtube channel (so I presume it's all above board, copyright-wise):

First Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac6_tJbGrRM&feature=relmfu
Second Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOsXAFiy3NE&feature=relmfu

[JimL]

I saw a similar source about the Kalashevsky symphony but never anything more convincing to back that up...

http://imslp.org/wiki/Wishlist_G-K

It could be that this source has conflated Tchaikovsky's "Little Russian" Symphony (#2) with the Kalachevsky.  After all, the Ukraine was also referred to as "Little Russia" and Tchaikovsky uses a couple of Ukrainian folk tunes as grist for his symphonic mill in this work.

[eschiss1]

re the Wishlist thing: as I recall, I wrote that, so I'd be quoting myself. The author of the article (Mason edited "The art of music: a comprehensive library of information for ..., Volume 11" but may not have written the entry on Kolachevsky/Kalachevski) does mention the symphony on page 265 of his book (Kolachevski, "Composed a 'Ukraine' symphony", ...) but says nothing about its being a 2nd symphony. Sorry I was unclear.

Google Books link (US only, probably) for the Mason.
Baker/Remy (3rd ed) gives more detail but also only mentions one symphony. I'm at a loss as to why I thought there were more. I'll remove that thing until and unless I have good reason to put it back in. Sorry.

(btw in regards Kalachevsky the only other thing of his I see recorded offhand is a piano nocturne played by Mr. Sear on his YouTube channel...)