Top Ten Symphonies

[antongould]

I know there is a dislike of "charts" hereabout but it would be very interesting to me, and possibly others, to find out what members 10 favourite symphonies are. I used a list years ago to broaden my vista which I have sadly lost.
I found this, I feel rather surprising, list on a website

1 Mahler 9
2 Haydn 34
3 Beethoven 5
4 Mozart 25
5 Barber 1
6 Haydn 94
7 Dvorak 9
8 Ives 1
9 Brahms 2
10 Beethoven 9

I apologise in advance if this has been "played" recently is so just let this thread die!

[StephenO]

I rather like charts, as long as Andre Rieu doesn't feature in them.

My top ten symphonies, in alphabetical order of composer, are -

Beethoven 9
Brahms 3
Dvorak 7
Elgar 1
Mahler 2
Mozart 39
Rachmaninov 2
Rautavaara 8
Sibelius 7
Tchaikovsky 4

plus Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie, if that counts.

[Uncle Monty]

Yes, I like a chart too. Good fun, and always interesting to see other people's likes. And I wasn't going to mention Andre Rieu, though if you're very naughty I may have to mention Rondo Veneziano

I just can't put these in 1-10 order, and they could be different next week, but here goes:

Vaughan Williams 5 (or 3 or any other!)
Bruckner 9
Mahler 3
Dvorak 8
Shostakovich 5
Rachmaninov 1
Brahms 2 (or perhaps 1)
Sibelius 5
Berlioz SF

I know it's heretical, but to be honest I'm a bit bored with Beethoven symphonies these days. I know all about sonata form and development sections and bridge passages and all that, but in LvB's case the result is very often that he takes a tune and flogs it to death until you're crying for mercy. And I do love Mozart's symphonies although they're pretty boring to play, especially on my instrument. As I must have said before, he's just lucky they sound so wonderful!

[Nick Armstrong]

Some common ground emerging... Yeah, a list between friends is fun.

Here's my 10 (and like Uncle Monty, I can't put them in any order - it depends on the day, the week, the performance...):

Rachmaninov 2
Bach BWV 1045
Elgar 1
Shostakovich 15
Mahler 5
Mahler 6
Sibelius 5
Sibelius 7
Walton 1
Vaughan Williams 5

[Petrushka]

In no particular order:

Mahler 2
Beethoven 9
Bruckner 8
Shostakovich 5
Mahler 8
Mahler 6
Bruckner 9
Elgar 1
Elgar 2
Mahler 3

[Tapiola]

Interesting to see how much some of us have in common.

Today's top ten list (which could change tomorrow) is:

Beethoven 5
Mahler 2
Mahler 6
Bruckner 9
Schnittke 3
Shostakovich 4
Shostakovich 15
Vaughan Williams 3
Brahms 1
Part 2

[maestro267]

Mahler 2
Tchaikovsky 5
Beethoven 7
Shostakovich 11
Vaughan Williams 2
Mahler 3
Brahms 1
Bruckner 8
Elgar 2
Brian 1 (Gothic)

[Nick Armstrong]

Even more interesting than the common ground (from the 'vista broadening' point of view mentioned in message #1) is to see 'off piste' favourites nestling among the more familiar items - e.g. Schnittke 3 and Rautavaara 8 Especially the latter, Taps, which features alongside two special favourites of mine Mahler 6 and Shostakovich 15. Definitely tempted to investigate!

And antongould, you mention someone's list from a website - but what of your own favourites?

[Nick Armstrong]

Damn! maestro267 reminds me I forgot Bruckner 8 !!

Can I have 11 please?

[antongould]

Thanks one and all for the swift and very interesting responses a small selection but my own

Bruckner 8
Bruckner 7
Elgar 1
Brahms 2
Schumann 4
Beethoven 9
Rawsthorne 2
Mahler 3
Mahler 1
Tchaikovsky 6

[barber olly]

With the wealth of choice around how do you choose
Here's 10.....
Rachmaninov 2
Tchaik 4
Tchaik Manfred
Schubert 5
Elgar 1
Mahler 2
Mozart 39
Schumann 2
Bruckner 5
Berlioz SF

Here's 10 more.......
VW2
Prokofiev 5
Shostakovich 10
Borodin 2
Sibelius 5
Brahms 2
Beethoven 3
Dvorak 8
Bizet
Saint-Saens 3
but then that misses out...... and........ and

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Mozart 40
Tchaikovsky 6
Elgar 1
Vaughan Williams 1
Vaughan Williams 5
Beethoven 3
Brahms 4
Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie (of course it counts )
Schumann 4
Mahler 4
Rachmaninov 3

[Uncle Monty]

Part 2

Of what?

[Barbirollians]

Beethoven 3,5,6,7,8.9
Mozart 38
Brahms 1,3
Sibelius 5

[Mandryka]

Tried to limit myself to one symphony per composer. It was difficult!

Bruckner 8
Sibelius 5
Beethoven 7
Schubert 9
Mahler 4
Brahms 4
Hindemith Symphonie Mathis Der Mahler
Prokofiev 7
Shostakovich 10
Franck Symphonie