# Favorite Brahms Symphony Movement



## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Inspired by a poll asking people to choose their favorite two movements out of Brahms piano concerti.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I only ever loved a total of 16 symphony movements by Brahms. But if I had to narrow down to one, I'd choose the Finale of the First Symphony. Today, anyhow.


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## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

Funny, I voted before looking down and was surprised by the equality of the results, before I noticed I was the only vote for the Andante of the third and there were only three votes cast. Interesting to see how it moves forward.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

The Third has always been my favourite Brahms symphony but I voted for the 1st movement, with its totally individual balance of autumn wistfulness and surging movement. There are a lot of works by Brahms which it took me a while to get into, but the Third Symphony and its first movement in particular have resonated with me since childhood.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I'll go along with the finale from the 4th symphony that seems to sum up everything about the composer and his place in the world.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Constantly changing but I do love the scherzo from the 4th.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

ORigel said:


> Inspired by a poll asking people to choose their favorite two movements out of Brahms piano concerti.


Why not clearly separate choices for movements two and three from the Second Symphony?


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Honestly I love them all equally. Seriously. I highly doubt if I could do without any moment of the symphonies, but I chose the first movement of the 4th for its high, piercing, dark, raw, passionate tragedy; not to mention the fact that it is one of most brilliantly-composed symphonic movements up to that point, which Brahms would then go on to top in his own finale.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Brahmsian Colors said:


> Why not clearly separate choices for movements two and three from the Second Symphony?


Maximum 15 items in a poll I think. I figure the last movement of the fourth is going to come out on top, and it is a tour de force, but I voted for the second movement of the third.


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## caracalla (Feb 19, 2020)

1st of the 1st. Not Brahms at his most winsome maybe, but still.

I'll concede that the Passacaglia from the 4th is no slouch either. Not easy to choose.


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## DLOinQUEENS (Nov 22, 2018)

The finale of the Brahms 1st is my favorite symphonic movement period, with maybe Tchaikovsky’s opening to Manfred or Beethoven’s opening to the 5th, depending on my mood. Dvorak’s finale to the 7th, and the adagio from Bruckner’s 7th are also right up there.

My second favorite Brahms movement is either the finale to the 2nd or the opening to the 4th. Personally I don’t think any of the Brahms adagios hold up to his outer movements.


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## Caryatid (Mar 28, 2020)

I chose the first and last movements of the Second, and the first movement of the Fourth. But I could just as well have picked the first movement of the Third, the last movement of the First, or several others...

People like to praise the originality of using a passacaglia for the finale of the Fourth, and of course it is a great movement, but it is not often noted that he had already done something similar for the finale of the Haydn Variations.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Brahmsian Colors said:


> Why not clearly separate choices for movements two and three from the Second Symphony?


Polls have a max of 15 options, and there are 16 total movements, so I had to combine two options.


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## BenG (Aug 28, 2018)

I probably would have picked 2nd symphony slow movement, but I dislike the minuet greatly.


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## Gray Bean (May 13, 2020)

I would be hard pressed to decide between the first mvt. of the 3rd and the second mvt. of the 4th.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> Maximum 15 items in a poll I think. I figure the last movement of the fourth is going to come out on top, and it is a tour de force, but I voted for the second movement of the third.


I tried to guess what would be unpopular movements to combine. I think I should have combined Symphony 1 slow movement and intermezzo instead, judging by the poll results; they are also less weighty than the outer movements.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

jegreenwood said:


> Maximum 15 items in a poll I think. I figure the last movement of the fourth is going to come out on top, and it is a tour de force, but I voted for the second movement of the third.


3/2 and 4/4 are definitely two horses of a different color. I much prefer the lyricism of the second movement of the Third.


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## Donna Elvira (Nov 12, 2017)

I love them all but I see my choice was, so far, the favorite of the majority.


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## RogerWaters (Feb 13, 2017)

I cannot pick a favourite, but I can pick a least favourite: Scherzo from Symphony No. 4, which comes perilously close to defiling what many regard as Brahms's finest.


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

RogerWaters said:


> I cannot pick a favourite, but I can pick a least favourite: Scherzo from Symphony No. 4, which comes perilously close to defiling what many regard as Brahms's finest.


I'm actually surprised that's not doing better in the poll.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Select up to three movements? But...but...but...Symphony 4 has four movements. It's Sophie's Choice all over again.


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## RogerWaters (Feb 13, 2017)

Radames said:


> I'm actually surprised that's not doing better in the poll.


Because it's full of cheese.

Then again, it could be that Rick Wakeman ruined it for me.


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## aioriacont (Jul 23, 2018)

first movement of first symphony

BAM BAM BAM bam bam bam says it all


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## BenG (Aug 28, 2018)

aioriacont said:


> first movement of first symphony
> 
> BAM BAM BAM bam bam bam says it all


I regard the outer movements of Brahms' symphonic cycle - 1st of 1st and 4th of 4th to be Brahms' best - they are quite similar in tone


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