The Greatest Symphony Ever ?

[rojo]

You know what? I just adore classical music. I think of composers as magicians.It has to be a true blue gift from God to be able to mix notes,sounds,and instruments and combine it all into a beautiful resulting melody. I cherish composers.I think they are geniuses.So,when all is said and done,maybe the question should have been more objective.Then I will tramsform this thread into one about all great symphonies,not just one.Shostakovich,Mahler,Bruckner-et al. are my personal cup of tea. Would anyone want to talk about the great works? I say : What do you think are some of the best symphonies ever written?I think it would be a very enjoyable and enlightening experience.Thank You.

Alrighty, here are some I would add to the list of works already mentioned in this thread (I love all those ones too.)

Shostakovich No.5
Franck d minor
Sibelius (oh geez, I've forgotten the number. Well, they're pretty much all great.)
William Walton No.1. A recent discovery for me.
Nielsen's symphonies are on my 'to check out' list; I may already have heard
one or more of them, can't remember.

Hey zoned, there's a birthday message for you in the community centre!

[zoned]

Hey rojo- I love all of the composers you mentioned,even the lesser known Niesen. I think his 4th "The Inextinguishable" is brilliant.And the 5th is great too. And how about this:Errki Melartin-he was a 20th century Finnish composer who wrote 6 symphonies-all almost on par with Sibelius! I have his symphonies on cd.Check it out-he is really good!

[LovesBachandGershwin]

I think the best finale is in Mahler's 2nd-the ressurection.


But my personal favorites are shostakovich 6, 10
And scriabin 1,2

[Rune Vejby]

Gorecki - 3rd

[Kromme]

Out of all symphonies i listened Shostakovich's 4th has the finest final couple of bars.

[Art Rock]

Gorecki - 3rd

Agreed. Of course Contratrombone64 has a different opinion.

[Corno Dolce]

Lets be nice to CT64 - he's had a hard day and needs to immerse himself in a Jacuzzi to relax and become reinvigorated.

[some guy]

If I understand Contratrombone64's position, it's nothing to do with whether Gorecki's 3rd is the greatest symphony ever, and everything to do with whether the words "greatest symphony ever" can mean anything.

Besides, as I pointed out early in this thread, "ever" isn't finished happening yet, and no one so far has had the temerity to claim to have listened to every symphony ever written. Every symphony written up to today, that is, tomorrow having more of that "ever" stuff continuing to go on.

So even if "greatest" had any meaning beyond "what I (and maybe some of my friends) like the most," there would still be these other two things going on to make "greatest symphony ever" an empty collection of vocables. As for "what I et cetera," don't you think that anyone who's listened to dozens symphonies, from dozens of different decades, will probably not be able to pick just one favorite.

I'm sure about one thing, I do know what my favorite Franck symphony is. And my favorite Bizet and Wagner, too. And I'll bet that my favorite Bizet symphony is also Contratrombone64's favorite Bizet symphony. Just sayin'.

[Art Rock]

If I understand Contratrombone64's position, it's nothing to do with whether Gorecki's 3rd is the greatest symphony ever, and everything to do with whether the words "greatest symphony ever" can mean anything.

Check the link in my post.

So even if "greatest" had any meaning beyond "what I (and maybe some of my friends) like the most," there would still be these other two things going on to make "greatest symphony ever" an empty collection of vocables. As for "what I et cetera," don't you think that anyone who's listened to dozens symphonies, from dozens of different decades, will probably not be able to pick just one favorite.

Well, I have listened to hundreds of symphonies (repeatedly), and I can pick out a top 3 easily even in sequence.

1. Schubert's unfinished
2. Mahler's 4th
3. Bruckner's 9th

Can I have missed one that would end up in that top 3 had I heard it? Possibly, but not likely. I have heard most/all symphonies of all major names (Haydn and Mozart not complete - unsurprisingly), and a lot of symphonies by less famous composers.

[Contratrombone64]

Alrighty, here are some I would add to the list of works already mentioned in this thread (I love all those ones too.)

Shostakovich No.5
Franck d minor
Sibelius (oh geez, I've forgotten the number. Well, they're pretty much all great.)
William Walton No.1. A recent discovery for me.
Nielsen's symphonies are on my 'to check out' list; I may already have heard
one or more of them, can't remember.

Hey zoned, there's a birthday message for you in the community centre!

Miss ROJO -!! Hey sweety, hope you're OK. The Nielsen symphonies are probably my favourite symphonies, or at least ones I never tire of. Especially the rarely performed 3rd, which has the most amazing opening. It's very difficult to tell what the time signature is (of course until the main theme occurs).

[Contratrombone64]

If I understand Contratrombone64's position, it's nothing to do with whether Gorecki's 3rd is the greatest symphony ever, and everything to do with whether the words "greatest symphony ever" can mean anything.

...

I'm sure about one thing, I do know what my favorite Franck symphony is. And my favorite Bizet and Wagner, too. And I'll bet that my favorite Bizet symphony is also Contratrombone64's favorite Bizet symphony. Just sayin'.

I agree with you about Franck, Bizet, Wagner ... one hit wonders when it comes to symphonies. But all three of them I like for very different reasons. The Bizet - in particular, has such exhuberance and wit as to be painful in its simplicity. I remember playing it with an absolute pig of a conductor once, he drill the strings on the passage work in the 1st and 4th movements (difficult stuff to get togther cleanly, for sure). But at the end, we gave an inspired performance that went like clock work. The Franck symphony in d minor, is also one I'm very, very fond of and have played. The Wagner, I only know because I've listened to it, sadly never played it.

My final thoughts on this, if I had to choose ONE Mozart symphony for a Desert Island, it would (for me) be the Jupiter.

[some guy]

Check the link in my post.

How the hell did I miss that? Pffft. So much for being Mr. Smarty-pants, hein?

Well, I have listened to hundreds of symphonies (repeatedly), and I can pick out a top 3 easily even in sequence.

1. Schubert's unfinished
2. Mahler's 4th
3. Bruckner's 9th

Can I have missed one that would end up in that top 3 had I heard it? Possibly, but not likely.

Well well well. So I was giving you more credit than you wanted. Fine. I'll take it back, then! And we know nothing, from this, about Schubert, Mahler, or Bruckner. As interesting as I'm sure you are, on a classical forum surely Schubert, Mahler, and Bruckner are more interesting than any of their listeners. That's my point.

Since it has to be asked, I might as well ask it now, do you listen to any symphonies written after 1901?

[rojo]

If I understand Contratrombone64's position, it's nothing to do with whether Gorecki's 3rd is the greatest symphony ever, and everything to do with whether the words "greatest symphony ever" can mean anything.

Besides, as I pointed out early in this thread, "ever" isn't finished happening yet, and no one so far has had the temerity to claim to have listened to every symphony ever written. Every symphony written up to today, that is, tomorrow having more of that "ever" stuff continuing to go on.

So even if "greatest" had any meaning beyond "what I (and maybe some of my friends) like the most," there would still be these other two things going on to make "greatest symphony ever" an empty collection of vocables. As for "what I et cetera," don't you think that anyone who's listened to dozens symphonies, from dozens of different decades, will probably not be able to pick just one favorite.

I'm sure about one thing, I do know what my favorite Franck symphony is. And my favorite Bizet and Wagner, too. And I'll bet that my favorite Bizet symphony is also Contratrombone64's favorite Bizet symphony. Just sayin'.

Well, I'm guilty of having used the term 'greatest' on one occasion 'round here that I clearly recall. And I haven't felt the need to take it back, even though I realize the term 'greatest' is entirely subjective. And no, it was not in reference to Muhammad Ali. I do use the term 'all time' and I guess I shouldn't; but I think peeps realize one is not able to include the works of the future in one's appraisals, and that it pretty much means 'up until now'. But in your honour, I'm going to switch over to 'up 'til now', or possibly 'so far', just to at least avoid any possible confusion regarding future works. I'm actually fairly confident to leave it at that, and not add 'that I have listened to' in front of the 'so far.'

Miss ROJO -!! Hey sweety, hope you're OK. The Nielsen symphonies are probably my favourite symphonies, or at least ones I never tire of. Especially the rarely performed 3rd, which has the most amazing opening. It's very difficult to tell what the time signature is (of course until the main theme occurs).

I'm fine, thanks CT64 Unless I shouldn't be because I can't recall the Nielsen pieces? That could be true.


Just to get back to the composers, besides the Brahms No.1 Art mentioned, I'm also quite partial to the other three Brahms' as well. And the Colour Symphony by Arthur Bliss.

Some guy- Naw, you're still Mr. Smarty-pants, in general.

[Art Rock]

Since it has to be asked, I might as well ask it now, do you listen to any symphonies written after 1901?

Lots. All Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Nielsen, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams, Walton, Arnold, Alwyn, Tippett, Gorecki, Martinu, Lilburn, for instance. Selected symphonies by Saalinen, Rautavaara, Holmboe, Tubin, Schnittke, Hanson, Schuman, Harris, Maxwell Davies, to name a few.

[some guy]

Thanks Art Rock for the list. I was pretty sure you'd mentioned post 1901 symphonies before, but I wasn't up for ferreting them out. (Not that symphonies are like bunnies, of course.) I noticed that you had Bill Schuman on your short list there. Do you know Sessions and Searle, too?

As for YOU, miss rojo, you can always make me grin. I'm so glad you've adopted "up until now" for "ever." (But Muhammad Ali is the greatest. Ever!)