Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25 "Classical"

The "Classical" Symphony runs about 15 minutes in four movements, played in the same order as a Haydn symphony but with Prokofiev's own harmonic sidesteps and sudden jokes.

I. Allegro: A brisk, bowing opening theme gives way to a second idea that leaps around with unexpected skips. Listen for how a simple accompaniment figure suddenly lurches into the "wrong" key before snapping back, a signature Prokofiev wink.

II. Larghetto: A gentle, songlike slow movement, mostly strings, that moves in long unhurried lines. It stays close to what an eighteenth century composer might have written, aside from a few tart harmonic turns.

III. Gavotte, non troppo allegro: Instead of the minuet a Haydn symphony would use, Prokofiev writes a stiff, courtly gavotte, a dance in a marching two-beat feel. It is brief, a little stern, and became famous enough that Prokofiev reused it later in his ballet Romeo and Juliet.

IV. Finale, molto vivace: A headlong, breathless dash to the finish, full of scurrying scales and abrupt dynamic changes. The movement barrels forward without slowing until its sudden, decisive close.

Prokofiev wrote this symphony in 1917, while living in the countryside outside Petrograd during the upheavals of the Russian Revolution. He set himself a game: to compose a symphony as Joseph Haydn might have, had Haydn been born into the twentieth century, using classical era forms and clear textures but his own harmonic language and orchestration. He worked partly away from the piano, sketching by ear so the piece would feel lighter and more idiomatic for orchestra. The symphony was premiered in Petrograd in 1918 under Prokofiev's own baton. It quickly became one of his most performed works, admired for its brevity, clarity, and humor, and it remains a favorite opener for orchestras introducing newcomers to twentieth century music without any of the harshness sometimes associated with the era.