# Grieg Symphony v Svendsen 1st Symphony



## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

It was Grieg himself who began the tradition of reservations about his Symphony , with his 'must never be performed'. Most people associate the note on the score with Grieg feeling unself-confident after hearing the First Symphony of his slightly older compatriot Johan Svendsen (1840–1911) in October 1867. Grieg found in Svendsen's Symphony 'the most sparkling genius, the boldest national tone and a really brilliant handling of the orchestra'. Perhaps Grieg had dreamed of being the first Norwegian national romantic symphonist, but now realized that was Svendsen's domain. 
He may also have had a youthful ambition to take over Gade's mantle of respected 'Nordic' symphonist, but then he came to feel that the genre of the symphony was not the right road for him. Neither was the Norwegian public very used to symphonies, and it would have been difficult to 'win the people' with them. Limitations in Norwegian orchestras were probably another factor. Grieg was largely a performing musician, dependent on his 'image', his reputation. He would not have wanted people to associate him with the style of this Symphony . We know too that he was more self-critical than most: he destroyed many early works.

Question: Was Grieg right about his own symphony being inferior to Svendsen's first symphony or was he so critical about his work he could not appreciate the symphony he had composed?


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

The Grieg has some good moments, but the Svendsen sounds much more accomplished and memorable by far. One can detect the huge difference between them almost immediately.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Quality-wise, Grieg's symphony sounds like you would expect a Svendsen symphony to sound and vice versa, given the status of the two composers.


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## BenG (Aug 28, 2018)

I actually enjoy listening to the Grieg more, it is easier to listen especially the first movement. However the other movements do not live up to the first, making the Svendsen probably a better work


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

When Grieg was a student, writing a symphony was expected, even required, to graduate. His symphony sounds like a student work, but I wish I could write that well! Symphonic form was not Grieg's forte. He was a master at smaller things. The symphony would make a great work for amateur orchestras, but annoyingly is under copyright in the US.


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