Robert Schumann once said that “when a German speaks of symphonies, he is speaking of Beethoven.” With his nine symphonies, Beethoven set a standard against which subsequent composers measured themselves. After piano and chamber music, he also conquered the world of the symphony during his Viennese years with his first work in C major op. 21. In subsequent years, this First Symphony became very popular. Only with the emergence of a Romantic view of Beethoven did it move into the background. The present Urtext study edition follows the musical text of the Beethoven Complete Edition. The editor's extensive preface with fascinating details concerning the genesis and source situation makes this small-format score particularly valuable.