The Symphony No. 1 in D minor, op. 21, was first performed in Kristiania (Oslo) in 1890 and a revised version played in Berlin in 1895 under Felix Weingartner. It was his performance which laid the basis for Sinding's reputation as a symphonist. The work is a characteristic contribution to nordic late-romanticism in which the traditional four-movement hrm is the direct inheritance of Classicism; but the radicalism of the neo-German school has also left its mark. The easily recognisable melody, light and nordic in tone, is combined with a polyphonic style that is often highly intricate. Sinding uses a straightforward harmonic language, but displays a fondness for irregular modulation. Characteristic is the use of the same thematic material throughout the work, adapted to meet the requirements of the moods of the different movements. The main theme in the first movement provides material for the succeeding movements. The second movement with its melodic and formal resourcefulness shows us Sinding at his most inspired. The third is a scherzo in both forrn and content, light and flowing, with many polyphonic subtleties. The finale gathers up all the material and brings the work to a rousing conclusion. Sinding's fondness for a certain grandeur in the melodic line is reinforced by the frequent use he makes of the brass.