Top Ten Symphonies

[BeethovensQuill]

For me at the moment its

Mahler 9
Mahler 5
Brahms 4
Beethoven 3, 6 and 9
Bruckner 8
Szymanowski 3
RVW 3
Vasks Symphony for strings

[Threni]

I don't have a top 10 but these are afew favourite:

Beethoven 9
Schnittke 1
Moeran 4
Nielsen 2
Shostakovich 7, 8, 10, 11 (!!!)
Tchaikovsky all!
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Can we do a top 100 instead

Yes, why not!
Bantock: Hebridean
Beethoven: 3, 6, 7 & 9
Berlioz: Fantastic; Funeral & Harold in Italy
Brahms: 3 & 4
Britten: Spring Symphony
Bruckner: 4, 5, 7 & 8
Dvorak: 3, 6, 7, 8 & 9
Elgar: 1, 2 & 3
Gunning: Yorkshire Glory
Haydn: 44, 49, 83, 88, 92, 94, 96, 97, 102, 103 & 104
Hovhaness: 2. 11 & 50
Hely-Hutchison: Carol Symphony
Lilburn: 3
Lloyd, G: 8
Mahler: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 9
Mendelssohn, 2, 4 & 5
Mozart: 9, 25, 29, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40 & 41
Nielsen: 1, 4 & 5
Part: 3
Prokofiev: 1, 3, 5
Parry: 3 & 5
Rachmaninov: 2 & 3
Rubbra: 5
Schubert: 4, 8 & 9
Schumann: 4
Shostakovitch 5, 7, 10 & 15
Sibelius: 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6
Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms
Sullivan: Irish
Tchaikovsky: 1, 2, 4, 5 & 6
Vaughan Williams: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7
Walton: 1

[barber olly]

Vaughan Williams 5 and 9 (on any given day I could quite easily choose all 9 plus 1 other as my 10)

You could always cheat and add Job!

[antongould]

At the risk of upsetting people by sounding like SMP and RC - "the chart" as we go into the weekend in alphabetical order

Beethoven 3
Beethoven 9
Brahms 1
Brahms 3
Bruckner 8
Elgar 1
Elgar 2
Mahler 2
Sibelius 5
Vaughan Williams 5

But it could, possibly, all change - thanks again for the fascinating responses.

[barber olly]

Why does someone feel the need to analyse the unanalysable?

1 Statistically unsound
2 Spoils the fun
3 Does this include those who had more than 10
4 I suspect many of those who contributed have strong feelings for 50 plus symphonies (maybe even 50 symphonists) and compromised to produce 10 for the list.
5 Many could have given their best 10 Mozart (39, 38, 41, 36, 34, 33, 35, 40, 29, 25)
or Haydn (102,101,104,92,98,88,96,103,100,94)
6 Surely some cannot be serious - Beethoven 9 - that weird finale!!!

[antongould]

Because there are sad people in this sad world

It only includes 10 per person which most people adhered to.

I understand all you say but I am a boring Accountant with spec's!

Obviously, yours can be the only serious and sustainable view of Beethoven 9!

[Chris Newman]

Sorry, my affections change too much. I could not find a favourite hundred. This sort of statistic is not my cup of tea.

[BBMmk2]

I went of two day courses, on Messiaen and Shostakovich, given by John Pickard at Bristol University (where he is now a Professor). He is an inspirational lecturer!

I should think that was quite inspirational.I do rather like his music. I have also for brass band, Eden. Equally another great work. I think its high time we had more from this composer.

[Alison]

I've decided to have ten different composers and my current favourite from each

Haydn 104
Mozart 40
Beethoven 5
Bruckner 8
Mahler 9
Tchaikovsky 6
Elgar 2
Vaughan Williams 5
Brian 1
Glazunov 4

[LeMartinPecheur]

Silly game, but why not? Just as long as I don't find I'm retricted to these 10 in the next place

Haydn 88
Beethoven 7
Bruckner 5
Mahler 6
Elgar 1
VW 2
Brian 6
Sibelius 2
Nielsen 5
Shostakovich 14 (I do so-o-o-o like a nice cheery finale)

Hmmm, not a 9th symph to be seen?

[amateur51]

What next?

Bags me first go at "What's Your Favourite Sandwich?"

Really it couldn't be much dafter, could it?

Could it?

[pilamenon]

Beethoven 6, 7 and 8
Haydn 100
Mahler 1
Mendelssohn 4
Prokofiev 1 and 5
Shostakovich 7
Vaughan Williams 6

[LeMartinPecheur]

Pilamenon: Mendelssohn 4. That's an original and brave choice!

[Probably wouldn't have been in, say, 1880 which must say something about musical tastes...]

[Alison]

Flaming good symphony, the Italian.
I feel an immediate spin coming on.

Sinopli, Haitink or Abbado to choose from.