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5 Favourite Symphonies?


firsty_ferret

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Some that I thought of after/while reading this topic (the real question is impossible--??favorite??):

Mathis Der Mahler Symphony Hindemith

Symphonie Op. 21 Webern

Symphony No. 8 Mahler (i.e. Mahler symphonies)

Symphony No. 41 Mozart (MOZART)

Glen Branca:

Most of my favorite orchestral music is not "Symphony".

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Guest Crataegus

This is...an extremely difficult question.... So I'm going to see if I can pick five, and if I can't, I'll put which I can't decide to cut. :P

In no special order:

Beethoven 7 & 9

Bruckner 4 & 7

Mahler 1

Shostakovich 1

Sibelius 5 & 7

I can't decide which of the three paired ones I'd rather cut, so I won't say either way. :P

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In a VERY particular:

1. Beethoven 9

2. Beethoven 5

3. Beethoven 3

4. Mozart 41 (am I right IB Music people? :P)

5. Beethoven 1

These are the only symphonies that I like in their entirety. By far the first movement of the Eroica is at the very top of my list, followed then by the 2nd mvt. of Beethoven's 9, and then the finale of Beethoven's 5.

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My top five:

1) Tchaikovsky 6th

2) Rachmaninov 2nd

3) Mahler 2nd

4) Beethoven 7th

5) Shostakovich 7th

Honorable mentions to: Tchaikovsky's Manfred, 2nd and 5th (plus the reconstructed 7th), Mahler's 1st, 5th, 6th and 9th, Beethoven's 5th and 9th, Mozart's 35th, 39th and 41st, Kalinnikov's 1st, Borodin's 1st and 2nd, Shostakovich's 5th and 10th, Brahms's 3rd, Dvorak 7th, 8th and 9th, Gorecki's 3rd, Penderecki's 7th. Any of these would be more than enough to ensure my presence in a concert.

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My top 5

1) Saint-Saëns, Symphony no. 3

2) Messiaen, Turangalîla symphony

3) Carl Vine, Symphony no. 3

4) Mozart, Symphony no. 7

5) Havergal Brian, Symphony no. 1 "Gothic"

Brian's first symphony is the longest and largest symphony ever written. Clocking at about 1 hour and 55 minutes, it's scored for the massive forces of not only an orchestra with extended wind, brass and percussion sections (bigger than anything by Mahler or Stravinsky), it also includes a brass band, organ, several other keyboard instruments, and something like 4 choirs and a children's choir.

The Carl Vine symphonies are magnificent works originally written for the Sydney Youth Orchestra, and Mozart's seventh is a seldom played piece that I think is just a bit magical.

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Sadly, I'm more deprived of my symphonies (thank you all for giving me a list to listen to XD ) I'll count down because it's more epic that way.

Coming in on number 5!

Mozart's 41st Symphony

I studied it in IB Music and it was amazing! Agree with me, the Coda's epic

4. Sibelius' 2nd

I hadn't heard enough of Sibelius unfortunately, so, maybe there are better symphonies he wrote out there (if you're wondering why the lack of hearing so many symphonies, take not that the number next to my name is my year of birth, meaning I'm getting my first glimpse at musical history in a high school class right now, but that is changing very quickly!)

3. Ralph V. Williams' 5th

That's a masterpiece, especially the 3rd movement, I have never heard anything so expressive. Also, another piece you should get familiar with, is his Oboe concerto (i'm learning it now) the finale has some really nice features from this symphony, and is the most beautiful piece of music for the Oboe I've ever heard....ever (if you hadn't guessed already, I'm an oboe player :) )

2. Beethoven's 5th

...enough said

1. Beethoven's 9th

I'm surprised I hadn't seen this as much. My band teacher/ IB music teacher, told me about this symphony and how he was trying to reach "the music beyond music" which is a magical place where music takes on an immortal figure, and is not accessible to mortals, but some have made it close, this symphony is the closest to the "music beyond music" if that makes any sense? here's my way of saying it, it's music that people can't handle

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Not in order, but among my favourite are:

E. Rautavaara: Symphony no. 5

D. Shostakovich: Symphony no. 11 - amazing work and scary...

H. Duttilleux: Symphony no. 1

W. A. Mozart: Symphony no. 40 in g minor - especially second movement.

From Slovenia I would suggest Uros Krek - Sinfonietta. Not really a symphony but a close-up.

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My favourite five symphonys are:

The BEST: Symphony in D, César Franck (1822-1890)

2- 9th Symphony, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

3- 5th Symphony, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

4- 4th Symphony, Albéric Magnard (1865-1914)

5- Symphony in E flat, Sylvio Lazzari (1857?-1944?)

P.S.: I don't know the «Symphony in G» (1840) from César Franck. I think it's also my best favourite!

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Too many to rank them, but Mahler 2 is definitely my favourite symphony of all time. The others are just picks from loads of other favourite symphonies of mine.

Mahler 2

Tchaikovsky 1

Vaughan Williams 1 (A Sea Symphony)

Bax 6

Elgar 2

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