# Opuses No. 1



## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Op. 1 is kind of debut of composer, even though first opus number is often effect of mistake and in fact it wasn't first work by composer. Many composers, particularry those from classical and baroque eras, that pruduced works like a factory products glass bottles have really worthless opuses 1, but when later, in XIXth century artists started to follow their personal views they often produced smaller amounts of works and every single one of them, along with op. 1, represented something particular. 

So, this is the thread to write about opuses no. 1 which you consider outstanding, some kind of rising from the first moments of creativity... eeee... you know what I mean. 

I would mention:

Paganini (capirces)
Webern (Pascaletatlaraglataratalagia for orchestra)
Berg (piano sonata)
Rachmaninoff (Piano Concerto No. 1)
Szymanowski (piano preludes)
Berlioz (Waverley overture: not great work, but you can hear that it's Berlioz and he knows what he is up to)


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

Haydn's Opus 1 is a string quartet set and I listened to it many times.


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

Dvorak's op.1 is a beatiful string quintet almost unknown.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Brahms' First Piano Sonata and Schubert's Erlkonig come to mind.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Aramis said:


> So, this is the thread to write about opuses no. 1 which you consider outstanding, some kind of rising from the first moments of creativity... eeee... you know what I mean.


In just about all cases it probably wasn't from the first moments of creativity, it was just one of the first pieces they felt happy to have published.

Mozart - Violin Sonatas K6 and K7 (1764)





Beethoven - First 3 piano trios (1795)





JS Bach - Very few of his works were apparently even published in his lifetime. 
Gott ist mein König BWV71 (1708)


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

Stockhausen's "op 1" (he numbered his works, Nr 1 etc), _Kontra-punkte_ is a work of startling originality. I think it must be a Stockhausen joke that, at one level, the title relates to an earlier - and just as outstanding - work called _Punkte_. Not only is _Kontra-punkte_ counterpoints, it is also contra (ie against, in opposition to) _Punkte_. So the composer was making a radical change in compositional direction in his officially first work!


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Don't forget-

Robert Schumann: _Variations on the name "Abegg", Op. 1_

Seeing the works mentioned so far, the "Op. 1" company seems to be very high class indeed!

Well, probably because - it's the first work that these composers feel is good enough to be called an "Op. 1". Webern wrote some very high-class works before the Passacaglia, but only the best of the best could be allowed this venerated title... "Opus"


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## Sebastien Melmoth (Apr 14, 2010)

*Berg*'s Piano Sonata Opus 1 gets my vote (_as realized by Glenn Gould, bien sûr!_).


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

At the mention of Glenn Gould... his own opus 1, a string quartet, is very good as well, if flawed nonetheless.


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## Sebastien Melmoth (Apr 14, 2010)

Ha!--well said, Monsieur Violist!

http://www.amazon.com/Gould-String-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272493052&sr=1-1


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

I have a new set of Beethovens Piano Trios and have been listening to his 3 Op. 1 this week - superb music for a "debut", I really like these pieces already .


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

Yes, Beethoven's Opus. 1 is excellent- particularly the C minor trio which really foreshadows what's to come.


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## Sebastien Melmoth (Apr 14, 2010)

Don't know if it's officially 'Opus 1', but *Kalinnikov*'s First Symphony is a real winner.

(His Second as well...)

http://www.amazon.com/Kalinnikov-Sy...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272716734&sr=1-2


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

A very rare op.1: Hermann Scherchen's string quartet.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Mahler's Das Klagende Lied deserves a mention.


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