Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
00:00 Mouvement d´andante - Allegro moderato
08:00 Scherzo: Allegretto spiritoso
14:00 Largo
21:11 Finale: Allegro energico
Performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Antonio de Almeida
Charles Tournemire (1870-1939) was a French composer and organist, considered one of the greatest organists of his time. For more on Tournemire, see the description of my score video of his sixth symphony (youtube.com/watch?v=K_2T7QW5EjQ) and my blog (unknowncomposers.org/2018/11/04/the-journey-begins/).
Tournemire's first symphony was completed in 1901; he would not finish another for eight years. Dedicated to the violinist and composer Paul Viardot, it is the most traditional of his symphonies, strongly influenced by his teacher César Franck and various Germanic models; nevertheless, it contains a spontaneous, personal touch that to some extent foreshadows his later music. Despite the increased gravitas of his later work, Tournemire certainly carried on the brightness of this piece in parts of his second, third, and fifth symphonies - all of which are also available on my channel with the score.
You can find the score on Tournemire's IMSLP page, under "Symphony No.1, Op.18": imslp.org/wiki/Category:Tournemire,_Charles
00:00 Mouvement d´andante - Allegro moderato
08:00 Scherzo: Allegretto spiritoso
14:00 Largo
21:11 Finale: Allegro energico
Performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Antonio de Almeida
Charles Tournemire (1870-1939) was a French composer and organist, considered one of the greatest organists of his time. For more on Tournemire, see the description of my score video of his sixth symphony (youtube.com/watch?v=K_2T7QW5EjQ) and my blog (unknowncomposers.org/2018/11/04/the-journey-begins/).
Tournemire's first symphony was completed in 1901; he would not finish another for eight years. Dedicated to the violinist and composer Paul Viardot, it is the most traditional of his symphonies, strongly influenced by his teacher César Franck and various Germanic models; nevertheless, it contains a spontaneous, personal touch that to some extent foreshadows his later music. Despite the increased gravitas of his later work, Tournemire certainly carried on the brightness of this piece in parts of his second, third, and fifth symphonies - all of which are also available on my channel with the score.
You can find the score on Tournemire's IMSLP page, under "Symphony No.1, Op.18": imslp.org/wiki/Category:Tournemire,_Charles
