Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Casella developed a deep admiration for Debussy's output after hearing "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" in 1898, but pursued a more romantic vein (stemming from Strauss and Mahler) in his own writing of this period, rather than turning to impressionism. His first symphony of 1905 is from this time, and it is with this work that Casella made his debut as a conductor when he led the symphony's premiere in Monte Carlo in 1908.