Prokofiev – Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 "Classical" (reference recording: Eugene Ormandy)

7 thoughts on “Prokofiev – Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 "Classical" (reference recording: Eugene Ormandy)”

1. Full Album available// Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 1,4,5,6,7, The Love for Three Oranges, Lieutenant Kijé by Eugene Ormandy
   🎧 Qobuz (Hi-Res) https://cutt.ly/Seshr9eT Tidal (Hi-Res) https://cutt.ly/VeshiX4k
   🎧 Deezer (Hi-Fi) https://cutt.ly/deshowZo Spotify (mp3) https://cutt.ly/Beshoh7S
   🎧 Apple & Amazon (soon) Youtube Music (mp4) https://cutt.ly/2eshoElv
   🔊 Buy the album (Hi-Res Master) https://cutt.ly/Classical-Music-Reference-Recording-Website-Ormandy
   Sergueï Prokofiev (1891-1953) Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 "Classical"
   00:00 I. Allegro (2024 Remastered, Philadelphia 1961)
   03:49 II. Larghetto (2024 Remastered, Philadelphia 1961)
   07:16 III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro (2024 Remastered, Philadelphia 1961)
   08:55 IV. Finale. Molto vivace (2024 Remastered, Philadelphia 1961)

   The Philadelphia Orchestra
   Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
   Recorded in 1961, at Philadelphia
   New mastering in 2024 by AB for https://classicalmusicreference.com/
   🔊 Join us with your phone on our WhatsApp fanpage (our latest album preview): https://cutt.ly/5eathESK
   🔊 Find our entire catalog on Qobuz: https://cutt.ly/geathMhL
   🔊 Discover our playlists on Spotify: https://cutt.ly/ceatjtlB
   ❤ Support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cmrr/about

   When Serge Prokofiev began his Symphony No. 1, the Classical Symphony, in the summer of 1916, his fame was on the verge of crossing the borders of Russia – and, in a way, that was what he was seeking. The immediate success of this symphony can be attributed not only to the precocious talent of the composer but also to the Western public's taste for a certain sophisticated music. It is indeed a work whose frivolous elegance, quite "classical," blends happily with the composer's resolutely personal and modern style.

   Prokofiev was twenty-five years old when he composed this symphony, and he was already known abroad thanks to the success of his Scythian Suite. But it was the Classical Symphony that truly established him on the international stage and allowed him to leave Russia some time later. In fact, just a few days after the premiere of this symphony in Petrograd in May 1918, Prokofiev asked the People's Commissar for Education, Anatoly Lunacharsky, for permission to go abroad.

   At the time Prokofiev began his symphony, World War I was claiming millions of lives around the world, particularly in Russia. When he finished it in 1917, a violent revolution was shaking the country and establishing the Soviet regime. During these terrible years, Prokofiev, who had taken refuge in a quiet village near Petrograd, preferred to stay away from these bloody events and worked tirelessly. As a result, the Classical Symphony in no way reflects this climate of war and revolution. Prokofiev reported in his autobiography:

   "I spent the summer of 1917 in complete solitude, in the vicinity of Petrograd; I read Kant and worked a lot. I had intentionally left my piano in the city, wanting to try composing without its help; I had to admit that thematic material composed without the piano is, most of the time, of better quality. When I later played passages on the piano, it seemed very strange at first, but each note and element quickly fell into place. (…) I conceived the project of composing an entire symphonic work without the help of the piano. In such a work, the orchestral colors should also be clearer and more distinct. Thus was born the plan of a symphony in the style of Haydn because, following my work in Tcherepnin's class, Haydn's technique had become particularly clear to me, and this familiarity gave me more confidence to dive into these dangerous waters without a piano. Finally, the chosen title was meant to be a challenge to make the geese angry, and in the secret hope that I would only gain if, over time, the symphony proved to be truly classical."

   If Prokofiev's symphony did not achieve all its goals, it exceeded them in certain ways. On one hand, it lacked the emotional power of Haydn's symphonies, while on the other, it gently but ironically parodied the classical tradition. Besides that, its dynamism and harmonic qualities placed it firmly in the 20th-century repertoire. Although influenced by Stravinsky, its harmonic language still seemed very dissonant and very modern to the audience of the time. Combined with powerful rhythms, it added a truly moving note to the classicism of this work.

   Prokofiev recounts that he composed this symphony in his head while walking in the countryside. At that time, the turmoil was at its peak in Petrograd, and shortly after the composer finished his symphony, Lenin seized power in Moscow; the civil war engulfed the entire country. As there was little hope that his work could be performed quickly, Prokofiev joined his mother in Kislovodsk, in the Caucasus Mountains. When the city fell to the "Reds" in March 1918, he returned north, first to Moscow, then to Petrograd, where the premiere of the Classical Symphony could take place in May. It was soon performed in all the major musical centers of the world and became one of the most famous symphonies of the 20th century.

   Other Album available // Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Ballet in 3 Acts, Op. 64
   🎧 Qobuz https://bit.ly/3rWQ52q Tidal https://bit.ly/3LG7nIP
   🎧 Apple Music https://apple.co/3H119zQ Deezer https://bit.ly/3Bsa6Ry
   🎧 Amazon Music https://amzn.to/3HX5ndh Spotify https://cutt.ly/Tedf5U5j
   🎧 Youtube Music https://bit.ly/3HWImXz Napster https://bit.ly/3gUu3XH
   🎧 Napster, Pandora, Anghami, QQ音乐, LineMusic, Awa 日本…

   Serguei Prokofiev PLAYLIST (reference recordings): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMmDjF9NT8I&list=PL3UZpQL9LIxOPreihv2R4RpLyqGbb_PxC&index=2

   Reply

2. When Serge Prokofiev began his Symphony No. 1, the Classical Symphony, in the summer of 1916, his fame was on the verge of crossing the borders of Russia – and, in a way, that was what he was seeking. The immediate success of this symphony can be attributed not only to the precocious talent of the composer but also to the Western public's taste for a certain sophisticated music. It is indeed a work whose frivolous elegance, quite "classical," blends happily with the composer's resolutely personal and modern style.

   Prokofiev was twenty-five years old when he composed this symphony, and he was already known abroad thanks to the success of his Scythian Suite. But it was the Classical Symphony that truly established him on the international stage and allowed him to leave Russia some time later. In fact, just a few days after the premiere of this symphony in Petrograd in May 1918, Prokofiev asked the People's Commissar for Education, Anatoly Lunacharsky, for permission to go abroad.

   At the time Prokofiev began his symphony, World War I was claiming millions of lives around the world, particularly in Russia. When he finished it in 1917, a violent revolution was shaking the country and establishing the Soviet regime. During these terrible years, Prokofiev, who had taken refuge in a quiet village near Petrograd, preferred to stay away from these bloody events and worked tirelessly. As a result, the Classical Symphony in no way reflects this climate of war and revolution. Prokofiev reported in his autobiography:

   "I spent the summer of 1917 in complete solitude, in the vicinity of Petrograd; I read Kant and worked a lot. I had intentionally left my piano in the city, wanting to try composing without its help; I had to admit that thematic material composed without the piano is, most of the time, of better quality. When I later played passages on the piano, it seemed very strange at first, but each note and element quickly fell into place. (…) I conceived the project of composing an entire symphonic work without the help of the piano. In such a work, the orchestral colors should also be clearer and more distinct. Thus was born the plan of a symphony in the style of Haydn because, following my work in Tcherepnin's class, Haydn's technique had become particularly clear to me, and this familiarity gave me more confidence to dive into these dangerous waters without a piano. Finally, the chosen title was meant to be a challenge to make the geese angry, and in the secret hope that I would only gain if, over time, the symphony proved to be truly classical."

   If Prokofiev's symphony did not achieve all its goals, it exceeded them in certain ways. On one hand, it lacked the emotional power of Haydn's symphonies, while on the other, it gently but ironically parodied the classical tradition. Besides that, its dynamism and harmonic qualities placed it firmly in the 20th-century repertoire. Although influenced by Stravinsky, its harmonic language still seemed very dissonant and very modern to the audience of the time. Combined with powerful rhythms, it added a truly moving note to the classicism of this work.

   Prokofiev recounts that he composed this symphony in his head while walking in the countryside. At that time, the turmoil was at its peak in Petrograd, and shortly after the composer finished his symphony, Lenin seized power in Moscow; the civil war engulfed the entire country. As there was little hope that his work could be performed quickly, Prokofiev joined his mother in Kislovodsk, in the Caucasus Mountains. When the city fell to the "Reds" in March 1918, he returned north, first to Moscow, then to Petrograd, where the premiere of the Classical Symphony could take place in May. It was soon performed in all the major musical centers of the world and became one of the most famous symphonies of the 20th century.

   Other Album available // Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Ballet in 3 Acts, Op. 64
   🎧 Qobuz https://bit.ly/3rWQ52q Tidal https://bit.ly/3LG7nIP
   🎧 Apple Music https://apple.co/3H119zQ Deezer https://bit.ly/3Bsa6Ry
   🎧 Amazon Music https://amzn.to/3HX5ndh Spotify https://cutt.ly/Tedf5U5j
   🎧 Youtube Music https://bit.ly/3HWImXz Napster https://bit.ly/3gUu3XH
   🎧 Napster, Pandora, Anghami, QQ音乐, LineMusic, Awa 日本…

   Reply

3. 👏👏👏

   Reply

4. Favorite Symph of all time.

   Reply

5. Lebhafte und wunderschöne Interpretation dieser pseudoklassischen doch perfekt komponierten Sinfonie mit farbenprächtigen doch perfekt entsprechenden Tönen aller Instrumente. Der intelligente und erfahrene Dirigent leitet das ausgezeichnete Orchester im relativ schnellen Tempo und mit möglichst effektiver Dynamik. Echt hörenswert!

   Reply

6. Excellent piece. I look forward to the other uploads of Prokofiev's symphonies.

   Reply

7. Sound quality and orchestration is superb!

   Reply