Favorite Beethoven Symphony?

Favorite Beethoven Symphony?

  • Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55

    Votes: 3 13.0%
  • Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68

    Votes: 4 17.4%
  • Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92

    Votes: 10 43.5%
  • Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125

    Votes: 5 21.7%

  • Total voters
    23

wljmrbill

Member
Enjoy all the them but 6, 5, 9 are in front. Organ my main instrument but played Viola in highshool- college days in orchestra.
 

Artemis

New member
If I had to place them in order of preference (best first) I would choose 9, 5, 3, 6, 7, 8, 1, 4, 2. It so happens that I believe that this order roughly corresponds with results normally emerging from both music board polls and other evidence of popularity such as the number of different recordings available.

Beethoven symphonies are highly accessible works with very clearly memorable themes, and one hardly needs to be musically competent to see that they were the product of a genius mind. On the whole, I would guess that most classical music fans like Beethoven, and probably like his symphonies best of all. On the other hand I can understand why some classical music fans are not keen on this kind of material. It may be that they grew up with Beethoven symphonies ringing in their ears, but now suffer from over-exposure and are now either fed up with them, or regard them as good for an occasional listen only. Other classical music fans may never have liked them in the first place, either preferring perhaps the late symphonies of Mozart or Haydn or material of a completely different type and era. There may indeed be still another group who have not yet got round to listening to any or all of them, and are still exploring.

I am rather in the camp of still greatly liking Beethoven symphonies but liking equally, if not more so, the works of other composers, in particular Schubert who I regard as the greatest composer ever. I would rate his 'Unfinished Symphony' as the best of all symphonies.
 

Allegretto

New member
If I had to place them in order of preference (best first) I would choose 9, 5, 3, 6, 7, 8, 1, 4, 2. It so happens that I believe that this order roughly corresponds with results normally emerging from both music board polls and other evidence of popularity such as the number of different recordings available.

Beethoven symphonies are highly accessible works with very clearly memorable themes, and one hardly needs to be musically competent to see that they were the product of a genius mind. On the whole, I would guess that most classical music fans like Beethoven, and probably like his symphonies best of all. On the other hand I can understand why some classical music fans are not keen on this kind of material. It may be that they grew up with Beethoven symphonies ringing in their ears, but now suffer from over-exposure and are now either fed up with them, or regard them as good for an occasional listen only. Other classical music fans may never have liked them in the first place, either preferring perhaps the late symphonies of Mozart or Haydn or material of a completely different type and era. There may indeed be still another group who have not yet got round to listening to any or all of them, and are still exploring.

I am rather in the camp of still greatly liking Beethoven symphonies but liking equally, if not more so, the works of other composers, in particular Schubert who I regard as the greatest composer ever. I would rate his 'Unfinished Symphony' as the best of all symphonies.

*applauds*

Except I think the Great C major symphony is better...
 

rovikered

New member
Except for his piano works and late string quartets I am not a Beethoven enthusiast, but concerning his symphonies the ones I dislike least are No. 4 and No. 8.
 

mathetes1963

New member
They're all jewels in the crown, but I like the odd-numbered ones best, in more or less this order: 7, 5, 3, 9.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Except for his piano works and late string quartets I am not a Beethoven enthusiast, but concerning his symphonies the ones I dislike least are No. 4 and No. 8.

Symphony four is a treasure - I agree and sadly neglected. Rather like a slim nymph standing between to Granit statues, don't you think?
 

Chi_townPhilly

Sr. Regulator
Sr. Regulator
They're all jewels in the crown, but I like the odd-numbered ones best, in more or less this order: 7, 5, 3, 9.
That's pretty close to the way I feel. (Actually, it's more like 7-9-5-3, for me!)

Heh, heh, heh... I just put 7 in the lead!:crazy:
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
I really would not choose any as a favorite, they are fantastic works in which you can pick out various motifs which occur in his other works, even the sym that have become (dare I say) popular can be made to sound fresh when given subtle changes in emphasis and balance, you cant say that about Mahler and I love Mahler as well.
 

nhemesis

New member
7th. but maybe i should start getting off of 'mainstream' classical music and listen to those 'nymphs' ;)
 
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