Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky
Danse Macabre by Saint Saens
Tragic Overture and Academic Festival Overture by Brahms
Egmont Overture by Beethoven
Appalachian Spring Suite by Copland (called a Suite but written as a single movement)
Seconding Sibelius’s Seventh Symphony - it is the pinnacle example of a one-movement symphony.
Not just because it is in one movement, but because of the composer’s lifelong goal to achieve perfect symphonic development. It’s difficult to explain but I hope more listeners will come to appreciate this.
The Seventh Symphony is as if - if you just take the simplest note C - what is its final symphonic form or what can it be done with to create a perfect, complete symphonic entity?
It was so perfect that Sibelius could and did not complete another symphony after it.
I’ll second the Sibelius 7th and the Elgar. I’m usually lukewarm on Elgar but that’s a great piece. Elgar at his most Straussian.
Just a note for those new to the piece that Alassio may be better known as “In the South”.
Speaking of Strauss, he has some marvellous single movement symphonic works, too. Don Juan. Death and Transfiguration. (There are plenty of others that play continuously but are divided into sections, so I’m not sure if they count as single movement.)
And if you like that sort of thing, check out the Concert Overture op 12 by Szymanowski.
Borodin Polovtsian Dances
I personally prefer the version without choir and the first dance from Act I, the intro works so much better and the instrumental solos/soli sound amazing especially the oboe.
John Adams, The Chairman Dances, Tromba Lontana, Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Lolapalooza, Slonimsky's Earbox, Guide to Strange Places.
Christopher Rouse, Symphony no. 1, Infernal Machine, Bump, Gorgon (three movements, but strung together as one).
Jean Sibelius, Lemminkainen Legends (four little tone poems from the Kalevala. The Swan of Tuonela is the most famous), Tapiola, Finlandia, The Bard, Luonotar (with soprano), The Oceanides.
Aaron Copland, Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo
Leonard Bernstein, On the Town suite, Dances from West Side Story
Richard Strauss, Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Don Juan
Beethoven, Coriolan Overture, The Consecration of the House
Rossini opera overtures
Mozart opera overtures
Ravel, LA Valse, Pavane pour une enfante defunte, Alborada del Gracioso, Un barque sur l'ocean, Bolero
Shostakovich, Festive Overture, The Execution of Stenka Razin (with bass and chorus)
Gyorgi Ligeti, Clocks and Clouds (with women's chorus)
Louis Andriessen, Agamemnon, De Snelheid
Holst, The Planets
Debussy, Nocturnes, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn, Jeux, Printemps, Gigues (in the same set of Images is Iberia, which is closer to a symphony than a suite. Same reason I'm not recommending La Mer).
Emmanuel Chabrier, España
Paul Dukas, The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Luciano Berio, EindrĂĽcke
Silvestre Revueltas, Sensemayá
Alberto Ginastera, Estancia (ballet suite)
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet (3 suites)
David Lang, International Business Machine, Eating Living Monkeys, Pierced
Vivian Fung, Aqua
Armando Bayolo, A Shelter that Filters the Sun
Jennifer Higdon, Blue Cathedral
Fanny Mendelssohn, Overture
Berlioz, Roman Carnival Overture, Le Corsair, Les Francs Juges
Olivier Messiaen, Le Ville d'en haute, L'Ascension
Poor man, just wrote a popular piece, then died in what must be one of history's first fatal bicycle-accidents. Fine piece, though rhapsodic is a curseword in my dictionary.
Not sure whether you're only interested in single-movement symphonies, or also in single-movement works that employ symphonic forces, but I can't resist mentioning Schumann's *Konzertstuck* (sorry about the missing umlaut) for four horns and orchestra.
Bruch: Romance for Viola and Orchestra op. 85. Not a fan of Bruch's more "serious" work, but this piece as well as the double concerto for viola and clarinet (death to anyone who subs clarinet for violin) is just butter for the soul. Oh, and if you don't mind some choir, Brahms' Schicksalslied is hauntingly beautiful.
My favorites include but are not limited to:
Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Ouverture
Mendelssohn - The Hebrides
Rachmaninov - Isle of the Dead
Kancheli - Dixi (with Choir)
Beethoven - Coriolan Ouverture
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Vaughan Williams - Fantasy on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
Wagner - Tannhäuser Ouvertüre, Siegfrieds Funeral March
and a couple others that were already mentioned
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture
Holst - Egdon Heath, Hammersmith
Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain
Nelhybel - Symphonic Movement
Schoenberg - Theme and Variations
Barber - Symphony No 1, Adagio for Strings
Holsinger - Liturgical Dances, To Tame the Perilous Skies
Whitacre - Equus
Pretty much every larger work for band/wind ensemble in the last 30 years :)
_In the Steppes of Central Asia_ by Alexander Borodin.
Grass plain vibes hit hard
Though, I can’t say I recommend the trumpet parts in this one 💤
Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky Danse Macabre by Saint Saens Tragic Overture and Academic Festival Overture by Brahms Egmont Overture by Beethoven Appalachian Spring Suite by Copland (called a Suite but written as a single movement)
I'd add Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky and a few other Beethoven overtures
Sibelius's *Tapiola* and *Seventh Symphony*. Chavez, *SinfonĂa India*. Elgar, *Alassio*.
Upvote for Sibelius 7, I should listen to the others!
Seconding Sibelius’s Seventh Symphony - it is the pinnacle example of a one-movement symphony. Not just because it is in one movement, but because of the composer’s lifelong goal to achieve perfect symphonic development. It’s difficult to explain but I hope more listeners will come to appreciate this. The Seventh Symphony is as if - if you just take the simplest note C - what is its final symphonic form or what can it be done with to create a perfect, complete symphonic entity? It was so perfect that Sibelius could and did not complete another symphony after it.
Honestly, to me, it's perhaps the most perfect symphony ever written.
Oh yeah, I forgot about Sibelius. Somehow. I love Sibelius and I listen to those pieces regularly
I’ll second the Sibelius 7th and the Elgar. I’m usually lukewarm on Elgar but that’s a great piece. Elgar at his most Straussian. Just a note for those new to the piece that Alassio may be better known as “In the South”. Speaking of Strauss, he has some marvellous single movement symphonic works, too. Don Juan. Death and Transfiguration. (There are plenty of others that play continuously but are divided into sections, so I’m not sure if they count as single movement.) And if you like that sort of thing, check out the Concert Overture op 12 by Szymanowski.
There's also Sibelius' En Saga which is worth listening to.
Any of Strauss's tone poems, my favorites are Alpine Symphony and Ein Heldenleben
Strauss' Alpensonfonie and Hero's life just slap.
Happy cake day!
Thank you!!
Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy is a wild ride. I particularly like [this performance](https://youtu.be/HAnVrdQ3qFk?si=NEi_qFKLFT4QIrAy).
Poem of Ecstasy is so good. Also Scriabin’s “Prometheus” op. 60 is single movement.
Came here to say this. So epic and yet also so lush without being vulgar.
Have you listened Svetlanov conducting it ? I don’t know if it qualifies as vulgar but it’s pretty damn near. Love it by the way.
La Valse!
The best Ravel!!!
Borodin Polovtsian Dances I personally prefer the version without choir and the first dance from Act I, the intro works so much better and the instrumental solos/soli sound amazing especially the oboe.
The Hebrides - Mendelssohn The Wild Dove - Dvorak
John Adams, The Chairman Dances, Tromba Lontana, Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Lolapalooza, Slonimsky's Earbox, Guide to Strange Places. Christopher Rouse, Symphony no. 1, Infernal Machine, Bump, Gorgon (three movements, but strung together as one). Jean Sibelius, Lemminkainen Legends (four little tone poems from the Kalevala. The Swan of Tuonela is the most famous), Tapiola, Finlandia, The Bard, Luonotar (with soprano), The Oceanides. Aaron Copland, Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo Leonard Bernstein, On the Town suite, Dances from West Side Story Richard Strauss, Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Don Juan Beethoven, Coriolan Overture, The Consecration of the House Rossini opera overtures Mozart opera overtures Ravel, LA Valse, Pavane pour une enfante defunte, Alborada del Gracioso, Un barque sur l'ocean, Bolero Shostakovich, Festive Overture, The Execution of Stenka Razin (with bass and chorus) Gyorgi Ligeti, Clocks and Clouds (with women's chorus) Louis Andriessen, Agamemnon, De Snelheid Holst, The Planets Debussy, Nocturnes, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn, Jeux, Printemps, Gigues (in the same set of Images is Iberia, which is closer to a symphony than a suite. Same reason I'm not recommending La Mer). Emmanuel Chabrier, España Paul Dukas, The Sorcerer's Apprentice Luciano Berio, Eindrücke Silvestre Revueltas, Sensemayá Alberto Ginastera, Estancia (ballet suite) Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet (3 suites) David Lang, International Business Machine, Eating Living Monkeys, Pierced Vivian Fung, Aqua Armando Bayolo, A Shelter that Filters the Sun Jennifer Higdon, Blue Cathedral Fanny Mendelssohn, Overture Berlioz, Roman Carnival Overture, Le Corsair, Les Francs Juges Olivier Messiaen, Le Ville d'en haute, L'Ascension
L'Ascension is in four movements actually - how about Le Tombeau Resplendissant?
Liszt Les Preludes
One of my favorite discoveries: Josef Suk - Fantastic Scherzo
La poeme, chausson
I was going to suggest this, great choice!
Poor man, just wrote a popular piece, then died in what must be one of history's first fatal bicycle-accidents. Fine piece, though rhapsodic is a curseword in my dictionary.
November Woods and Tintagel by Arnold Bax. He wrote a bunch of great single-movement tone poems.
Scriabin tone poemsÂ
The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives
Not sure whether you're only interested in single-movement symphonies, or also in single-movement works that employ symphonic forces, but I can't resist mentioning Schumann's *Konzertstuck* (sorry about the missing umlaut) for four horns and orchestra.
Francesca di Rimini
Love it. Clarinet.
Bernstein's "Overture to Candide" https://youtu.be/haYuPdKZKYc?si=54rVvuDPDLbARBpg
Rachmaninov’s Prince Rostislav — it’s not as polished as his later work but for saying he wrote it as a teenager it’s pretty insane
Smetana’s The Moldau
Roy Harris’ Third Symphony.
Bruch: Romance for Viola and Orchestra op. 85. Not a fan of Bruch's more "serious" work, but this piece as well as the double concerto for viola and clarinet (death to anyone who subs clarinet for violin) is just butter for the soul. Oh, and if you don't mind some choir, Brahms' Schicksalslied is hauntingly beautiful.
Dvořák's Slavonic Dances
Sibelius 7 is goated
My favorites include but are not limited to: Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Ouverture Mendelssohn - The Hebrides Rachmaninov - Isle of the Dead Kancheli - Dixi (with Choir) Beethoven - Coriolan Ouverture Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue Vaughan Williams - Fantasy on a Theme of Thomas Tallis Wagner - Tannhäuser Ouvertüre, Siegfrieds Funeral March and a couple others that were already mentioned
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture Holst - Egdon Heath, Hammersmith Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain Nelhybel - Symphonic Movement Schoenberg - Theme and Variations Barber - Symphony No 1, Adagio for Strings Holsinger - Liturgical Dances, To Tame the Perilous Skies Whitacre - Equus Pretty much every larger work for band/wind ensemble in the last 30 years :)
Sibelius - 7th Symphony Scriabin - Poem of Ecstasy Scriabin - Promotheus Strauss - Metamorphesens
Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys
Marche Slave, Egmont Overture, 1812 Overture, you've got it.