Symphony No. 1 (Klami)

Symphony No. 1
by Uuno Klami
The composer in 1959
Composed	1937 (1937)–38
Duration	Approx. 43 minutes
Movements	4
Premiere
Date	5 May 1939 (1939-05-05)
Location	Helsinki, Finland
Conductor	Georg Schnéevoigt
Performers	Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

The Symphony No. 1 is a four-movement orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Uuno Klami, who wrote the piece from 1937 to 1938. Georg Schnéevoigt and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra premiered the work on 5 May 1939; later that year, Klami enlisted in the Finnish military and fought against the Soviet Union in the Winter War.

Although the Symphony No. 1 is the first of Klami's two numbered symphonies, it was preceded by the Symphonie enfantine (Children's Symphony), Op. 17, a 1928 composition for chamber orchestra.

Orchestration

The First Symphony is scored for the following instruments:

• Woodwind: piccolo, 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, and 2 bassoons
• Brass: 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, and tuba
• Percussion: timpani, bass drum, snare drum, and cymbals
• Strings: violins, violas, cellos, and double basses

Structure

The Finnish conductor Georg Schnéevoigt conducted the premiere of the First Symphony in 1939.

The First Symphony is in four movements. They are as follows:

1. Allegro non troppo
2. Prestissimo
3. Andante molto
4. Allegro maestoso

Discography

The sortable table below lists the only commercially available recording of the First Symphony:

Conductor	Orchestra	Year	Runtime	Venue	Label	Ref.
							Tuomas Ollila-Hannikainen	Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra	1995	43:45	Tampere Hall	Ondine (ODE 854–2)	[1]

References and sources

Sources

• Poroila, Heikki (2012). Yhtenäistetty Uuno Klami (List of Works by Uuno Klami). Helsinki: Suomen musiikkikirjastoyhdistys (Finnish Music Library Association). ISBN 978-952-5363-30-2.
• Tyrväinen, Helena (1995). Uuno Klami: Symphony No. 1 / King Lear Ouverture (CD booklet). Tuomas Ollila-Hannikainen & Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. Ondine. ODE 854–2. OCLC 36076621
• "Uuno Klami: Years, Compositions: 1930–1940". uunoklami.fi/en. The Uuno Klami Society. 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2021.