What’s Your Favourite Symphony?

[prb]

Favourite sandwich: stilton, celery and walnut on white

Favourite symphony: after reading through this thread I find I am humming the opening of Mahler 9, so that must be it

[ahinton]

For me, Bruckner 8 and Shostakovich 4 just get pipped at the post by Tippett 3 - an absolute marvel of bold symphonic invention.

(with apologies to A Hinton )

No need at all to apologise although how even those who love Tippett 3 could place it upon a pedestal above the other two that you mention does take a little figuring out!...

[ahinton]

... so many to choose from!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Jones_(composer)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Metcalf_(composer)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Walters

... now, I know that ahinton cannot have been hinting at K**l J*****s - so who on earth can he have meant?

No, indeed, I was not hinting at that person. Actually, I wasn't hinting at anyone in particular; I merely threw the question open to anyone who might have nothing better to do than answer it. I had some lessons from Gareth Walters once but, as I'd gotten to a point at which I seemed to have lost all sene of direction I didn't do much work and so they tended to end up as comprising mainly working through C. S. Lang score reading exercises at the piano (so I think that I rather wasted his time, actually).

[kea]

What's your favourite sandwich?

Does shawarma count as a sandwich? (Does Symphonies d'instruments à vent count as a symphony?)

A century ago it would generally have been admitted that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony was the most sublime noise that had ever penetrated into the ear of man.

Honestly that was the one that came to mind immediately after Haydn No.49 and I think, if I had spotted this thread today instead of the other day, would have been my choice. Preferably with the da capo in the scherzo, though. (and on period instruments)

[Pabmusic]

I said earlier that I couldn't answer this question - which is true - but there have been a few symphonies that I've been obsessive about, particularly when I was younger. They are still great favourites, and I know the scores inside out.

Borodin 2, which led to the other two.
Kalinnikov 1, which led to no. 2, which maybe I prefer now.
Sibelius 3, which led to no. 6.
Elgar 1
RVW 5 and London
Suk 1 & Asrael
Hanson 2
Rachmaninov 3
Lloyd 7
Bax 3
Stenhammar 2
Weingartner 1
Prokofiev 7
Harris 3
Dvorak 4
Moeran Gm

[BBMmk2]

I said earlier that I couldn't answer this question - which is true - but there have been a few symphonies that I've been obsessive about, particularly when I was younger. They are still great favourites, and I know the scores inside out.

Borodin 2, which led to the other two.
Kalinnikov 1, which led to no. 2, which maybe I prefer now.
Sibelius 3, which led to no. 6.
Elgar 1
RVW 5 and London
Suk Asrael
Hanson 2
Rachmaninov 3
Lloyd 7
Bax 3
Stenhammar 2
Weingartner 1
Harris 3

Quite a difficult question I know. The Albany recording of the George Lloyd were you thinking of?

[Pabmusic]

Quite a difficult question I know. The Albany recording of the George Lloyd were you thinking of?

It wasn't Albany - it was with the (?) BBC Phil, conducted by George Lloyd. It was a Conifer LP (then CD).
I can't be bothered to check.

[teamsaint]

I said earlier that I couldn't answer this question - which is true - but there have been a few symphonies that I've been obsessive about, particularly when I was younger. They are still great favourites, and I know the scores inside out.

Borodin 2, which led to the other two.
Kalinnikov 1, which led to no. 2, which maybe I prefer now.
Sibelius 3, which led to no. 6.
Elgar 1
RVW 5 and London
Suk 1 & Asrael
Hanson 2
Rachmaninov 3
Lloyd 7
Bax 3
Stenhammar 2
Weingartner 1
Prokofiev 7
Harris 3
Dvorak 4
Moeran Gm

Some good food for thought there Pabs.

[vinteuil]

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... not everyone sees the 'Symphony' as some kind of un-toppable musical form.

I certainly don't.

But then, I think my musical interests/obsessions wd prioritise -

. keyboard music
. chamber music, esp the string quartet
. the concerto, esp the piano concerto
. opera
. lieder

Hence not everyone is takin' this bestest symphony malarkey too seriously...

Best sangwidge - well, yr BLT has its claims, but I like prosciutto/rocket/tomato in a warmed pitta...


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[silvestrione]

Tippett 2 was certainly the first that came to mind (been playing it a lot recently!).

Certainly would not be Tippett 3, though, can't (anymore) take the Scena at the end, not the words at all, and not much of the music. The rest of the symphony, I agree, top Tippett!

[Beef Oven!]

I said earlier that I couldn't answer this question - which is true - but there have been a few symphonies that I've been obsessive about, particularly when I was younger. They are still great favourites, and I know the scores inside out.

Borodin 2, which led to the other two.
Kalinnikov 1, which led to no. 2, which maybe I prefer now.
Sibelius 3, which led to no. 6.
Elgar 1
RVW 5 and London
Suk 1 & Asrael
Hanson 2
Rachmaninov 3
Lloyd 7
Bax 3
Stenhammar 2
Weingartner 1
Prokofiev 7
Harris 3
Dvorak 4
Moeran Gm

Interesting. A lot of overlap with me. In my formative years of listening to classical music (late 80s/early 90s*), I obsessed on Hanson 2, Borodin2, Bax 3, Harris 3, Moeran Gm, Suk Asrael, Sibelius 3, RVW 5 & Dvorak 4.

*I didn't take to classical until quite late

[Alison]

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... not everyone sees the 'Symphony' as some kind of un-toppable musical form.





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Hey, Vints, the question doesn't presuppose the Symphony is the greatest form.

You're taking it too seriously old chap

[vinteuil]

You're taking it too seriously old chap

... 'seriously'? Moi???



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Mme v's fave sarnie is tesco's 74% chocolate in a pitta bread, 30 seconds in a microwave. If I didn't love her, would this be grounds for divorce??

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[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’m afraid there’s only one symphony allowed.

Perhaps we should stick to this.

[vinteuil]

I’m afraid there’s only one symphony allowed.
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... sez who? And on what authority, pray???

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