The Romantic symphony was approaching it's zenith when Richard Strauss wrote his two youthful examples, both of which chart his development and increasing compositional confidence. Though Strauss was still at school his Symphony No. 1 in D minor was first conducted by the eminent Hermann Levi, soon to premiere Wagner's Parsifal. It is a standard four-movement work, deftly orchestrated, reflecting an early enthusiasm for Mendelssohn and a familiarity with Dvorák. The Symphony No. 2 in F minor, though similarly scored, reveals a deeply expressive vein of lyricism in the slow movement that hints at the composer's future mastery.
