According to the Guardian, Brahms spent more than two decades creating his First Symphony before it reached the public. The Guardian reported that he first made sketches in the mid-1850s while in his twenties, and the work was not premiered until he was 43. Its first performance took place on 4 November 1876 in Karlsruhe, exactly 150 years before the anniversary marked by the Guardian. That long period contrasts with Beethoven, who produced his first eight symphonies and began the ninth in a shorter span, the Guardian noted. The summer of 1876 had also brought the premiere of Wagner's Ring cycle in Bayreuth, a project also developed over more than 20 years. The Guardian pointed out that Wagner's cycle comprised four operas totalling around 15 hours, while Brahms's symphony contains four movements and lasts about 45 minutes in performance. The Guardian described the symphony as worth the wait, and also noted separate coverage of Ivan Fischer and the Berlin Philharmonic parting company over a seating arrangement.
Source: The Guardian.