Symphony No. 1 (Madetoja)

The Symphony No. 1 in F major, Op. 29, is a three-movement orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja, who wrote the piece from 1914–16 at the dawn of his professional career. Although late-Romantic in style, the symphony carefully eschews the extravagance and overindulgence typical of debut efforts, placing it among the most "mature" and restrained of first symphonies. Accordingly, the First is the shortest and most concentrated of Madetoja's three essays in the form and is the only one of his symphonies not to adhere to the traditional four-movement symphonic template.

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra premiered the work in Helsinki, Finland on 10 February 1916 under the composer's baton. The critics received the premiere warmly, concluding that an important symphonic talent had arrived on the Finnish music scene, the new work's echoes of Sibelius and Tchaikovsky notwithstanding.