A New Year List of favourites, symphonies 1 to 9

[Pabmusic]

And here's another list (no composers duplicated) of genuine favourites:

1 Barber
2 Suk
3 Bax
4 Magnard
5 Rubbra
6 Martinu
7 Lloyd
8 Harris
9 Schuman

[Dave2002]

A lot of others too numerous to mention but rules is rules etc.

Plus you also have to face up to the ESP rule, where Saly checks that you really are putting in your favourites! My list could have had Brahms 2 or 3, but 2 was allocated to Mahler and 3 to Beethoven. Mozart and Haydn were squeezed out totally, as were Schubert, Schumann and Mendelssohn.

[Roehre]

And here's another list (no composers duplicated) of genuine favourites:

1 Barber
2 Suk
3 Bax
4 Magnard
5 Rubbra
6 Martinu
7 Lloyd
8 Harris
9 Schuman

[Thropplenoggin]

Whatever you think about the rules, the thread has had a fantastic response and prompted plenty of head-scratching and engagement.

I'll probably be checking out a fair few symphonies by composers that are new to me after this, too.

All in all, a great way to welcome in 2013! Cheers, Saly!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

All in all, a great way to welcome in 2013! Cheers, Saly!

Splendidly put, sir!


AND I omited Lutoslawski 2, 3 & 4! And Martinu! And Rubbra! And Simpson! ... and Dvorak 5 - 8, and Tchaik #5 (if Mravinsky's conducting) ... and how could I possibly miss out ... (that's enough cheating - Ed)

[cloughie]

Splendidly put, sir!


AND I omited Lutoslawski 2, 3 & 4! And Martinu! And Rubbra! And Simpson! ... and Dvorak 5 - 8, and Tchaik #5 (if Mravinsky's conducting) ... and how could I possibly miss out ... (that's enough cheating - Ed)

Ferney, would it have been easier to list the ones you would not want to include?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ferney, would it have been easier to list the ones you would not want to include?

- Indeed it would: but, on today of all days, I wouldn't want to upset the enthusiasts for the Symphonies of

[scottycelt]

... (Note that Schmidt is making his first appearance in this thread. )

I agree that this is both an interesting and fun thread ... congrats to saly.

It is also personally 'challenging'!

If I had to pick ONE work that might make me give up altogether and shoot myself it would be Franz Schmidt's 4th Symphony.

Isn't it rather humbling our (my) frequent inability to even begin to grasp a piece of music that others have long loved and appreciated?

Back to the drawing-board ... and, as a NY resolution, I shall give FS4 another spin.

[subcontrabass]

1. Shostakovich
2. Brahms
3. Saint-Saëns
4. Roussel
5. Tchaikovsky
6. Beethoven
7. Dvořák
8. Mahler
9. Schubert

[Thropplenoggin]

1. Shostakovich
2. Brahms
3. Saint-Saëns
4. Roussel
5. Tchaikovsky
6. Beethoven
7. Dvořák
8. Mahler
9. Schubert

But is it really a symphony? Always felt like more of an oratorio or supermassive cantata to me

[Bryn]

1. Walton
2. Sibelius
3. Bruckner
4. Shostakovich
5. Beethoven
6. Prokofiev
7. Mahler
8. Dvorak
9. Schubert

[salymap]

Glad you are enjoying the lists. I've only been here since Sept 2007 so don't remember the earlier thread like this. Good idea to addthe numbers of Haydn and Mozart to make one number.
And if there were no rules where's the fun. Bestio, very busy today.

[Lateralthinking1]

Some great comments and my thanks to saly too. If 2 is the strongest, is 8 the weakest?

Congratulations to Sibelius for having been nominated for all, erm, 8 of his. RVW has been nominated for 1-6. Dvorak has 6-9.
Mahler has everything from 1-9 except 3 and he has a 10!

And there is still (probably) a long way to go...............!

[antongould]

Some great comments and my thanks to saly too. If 2 is the strongest, is 8 the weakest?

Congratulations to Sibelius for having been nominated for all, erm, 8 of his. RVW has been nominated for 1-6. Dvorak has 6-9.
Mahler has everything from 1-9 except 3 and he has a 10!

And there is still (probably) a long way to go...............!

Excellent Lats as you seem to be a good way there you can do the end of thread statistics that Lady Sidcup will no doubt "suggest". As for No.8s when we did 10 favourite symphonies a couple of years ago a No.8 "won" by a country mile.

Thinking back two still current members did top 100s - but I would suspect getting to 104 by the current Sidcup rules may be a little difficult...........

[Lateralthinking1]

Excellent Lats as you seem to be a good way there you can do the end of thread statistics that Lady Sidcup will no doubt "suggest". As for No.8s when we did 10 favourite symphonies a couple of years ago a No.8 "won" by a country mile.

Thinking back two still current members did top 100s - but I would suspect getting to 104 by the current Sidcup rules may be a little difficult...........

I would be happy to volunteer. However, this is too serious to be left to an amateur. In any case, I have no idea how it would be collated. More than happy to help though if that would be helpful to you and you say how.

This is an exercise that favours Bruckner people, isn't it. In some ways, I am surprised the good lady suggested it. The inclusion of Glass might have been a mild form of rebellion on my part even if I quite like it.