Top Ten Symphonies Revisited

[Suffolkcoastal]

I think I did my top 100 last time, I find the top 10 just too difficult, there are 5 that would always be in there but the other 5 I can't make my mind up on. So 100 it is, not sure how much this has altered since last time. I hope no one falls asleep reading this list!

Arnold 7, Barber 1 & 2, Bax 2, 3 & 6, Beethoven 3 & 9, Bernstein 1, Borodin 2, Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Bruckner 5 & 7, Copland 3, Corigliano 1, Diamond 2 & 3, Dvorak 6 & 7, Elgar 1 & 2, Glazunov 7, Hanson 2 & 4, Harris 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 & 11, F J Haydn 88 & 102, Hindemith Sym in E flat, Holmboe 8 & 11, Holst A Choral Symphony, Honegger 3, Kalliwoda 4, L Kozeluch Sym in G minor, Lilburn 2, Martinu 1, 3 & 5, Mendelssohn 3, Mennin 5 & 9, Miaskovsky 17 & 22, Moeran 1 & 2, Nielsen 4 & 5, Parry 3 & 4, Piston 2, 4 & 6, Popov 1, Prokofiev 3 & 6, Rachmaninov 2, Rautavaara 3 & 8, Rubbra 6 & 8, Schubert 5 & 9, W Schuman 3, 5, 6 & 9, R Schumann 2, Shostakovich 8, 11, 13 & 15, Sibelius 3, 4, 6 & 7, Simpson 9, Stanford 6, Stravinsky Sym in Three Movements, Szymanowski 3, Tchaikovsky 2, 4 & 6, Tippett 2, Tubin 4 & 9, Vaughan Williams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Walton 1.

That took a day's thinking, I think I love the symphony above all other musical forms.

[Panjandrum]

I hate these "list your seven favourite leaves-type "surveys", but, in the Christmas spirit, I'll have a go:

1) Beethoven
2) Haydn
3) Mozart
4) Bruckner
5) Mahler
6) Brahms
7) Sibelius
8) RVW
9) Simpson
10) Schumann

I'm not familiar with Brahms' 6th or Schumann 10; and unusual to see someone plump for such early examples of Mozart and Haydn's efforts in the genre.

[Panjandrum]

I think I did my top 100 last time, I find the top 10 just too difficult, there are 5 that would always be in there but the other 5 I can't make my mind up on. So 100 it is, not sure how much this has altered since last time. I hope no one falls asleep reading this list!

Arnold 7, Barber 1 & 2, Bax 2, 3 & 6, Beethoven 3 & 9, Bernstein 1, Borodin 2, Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Bruckner 5 & 7, Copland 3, Corigliano 1, Diamond 2 & 3, Dvorak 6 & 7, Elgar 1 & 2, Glazunov 7, Hanson 2 & 4, Harris 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 & 11, F J Haydn 88 & 102, Hindemith Sym in E flat, Holmboe 8 & 11, Holst A Choral Symphony, Honegger 3, Kalliwoda 4, L Kozeluch Sym in G minor, Lilburn 2, Martinu 1, 3 & 5, Mendelssohn 3, Mennin 5 & 9, Miaskovsky 17 & 22, Moeran 1 & 2, Nielsen 4 & 5, Parry 3 & 4, Piston 2, 4 & 6, Popov 1, Prokofiev 3 & 6, Rachmaninov 2, Rautavaara 3 & 8, Rubbra 6 & 8, Schubert 5 & 9, W Schuman 3, 5, 6 & 9, R Schumann 2, Shostakovich 8, 11, 13 & 15, Sibelius 3, 4, 6 & 7, Simpson 9, Stanford 6, Stravinsky Sym in Three Movements, Szymanowski 3, Tchaikovsky 2, 4 & 6, Tippett 2, Tubin 4 & 9, Vaughan Williams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Walton 1.

That took a day's thinking, I think I love the symphony above all other musical forms.

I see Moeran "2" has quickly made its way into your affections suffolk.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

unusual to see someone plump for such early examples of Mozart and Haydn's efforts in the genre.

"Unusual" is my middle name. (My parents were terrible spellers.)

[EdgeleyRob]

Parry 3 & 4, Stanford 6, Vaughan Williams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I see Moeran "2" has quickly made its way into your affections suffolk.

It has indeed, I think Martin Yates has done an outstanding job in the reconstruction, the whole work comes over so idiomatically Moeran, I've played it a number of times already and love it.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm not familiar with Brahms' 6th or Schumann 10; and unusual to see someone plump for such early examples of Mozart and Haydn's efforts in the genre.

Mozart didn't even compose his own "Symphony no 3", just as he didn't compose nos. 2 & 37. But to be fair on ferneyhoughgeliebte, the numbers in the list do come first.

[BBMmk2]

Ferney, its symphonies!! :)

[Roehre]

Mozart didn't even compose his own "Symphony no 3", just as he didn't compose nos. 2 & 37. But to be fair on ferneyhoughgeliebte, the numbers in the list do come first.

Well, Mozart did write the score for what Köchel thought of being Mozart's 3rd symphony.
Unfortunately it was just a copy in Mozart's hand (prepared for study and training purposes) of either an Abel or a JCBach symphony. The same applies to Symphony no.2. Symphony no.37 is Michael Haydn's except the slow introduction of the opening mvt, which is Mozart's

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ferney, its symphonies!! :)

I 'eard that! Pardon?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Symphony no.37 is Michael Haydn's except the slow introduction of the opening mvt, which is Mozart's

Yes, indeed. And that slow introduction is included in Marriner's cycle of the symphonies

[Roehre]

Yes, indeed. And that slow introduction is included in Marriner's cycle of the symphonies

And the full Symphony 37 is included in the AAM/Hogwood series, as well as in the Mozart symphonies series on Naxos.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And the full Symphony 37 is included in the AAM/Hogwood series, as well as in the Mozart symphonies series on Naxos.

Doesn't the Naxos series also include 2 & 3?

[Roehre]

Doesn't the Naxos series also include 2 & 3?

Yes, it does, as does Leinsdorf's complete Mozart symphonies recordings.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My new top 10 are:-

Mozart 2
Mozart 3
Mozart 37
Schubert 7
Schubert 8
Beethoven Jena
Elgar 3
Beethoven 10
Bruckner 9 (all of it)
Mahler 10

and it would be nice to be able to add Sibelius 8 to the list