# Favorite Work from Beethoven



## Classical Playlists (Jan 26, 2020)

I am curious to see which of Beethoven's works are seen as his greatest, this time in competition with each other.


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## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

If you go by what Beethoven thought, Missa Solemnis


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Favorite: Triple Concerto


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## HerbertNorman (Jan 9, 2020)

Very , very difficult one ... but for me it must be the 5th piano concerto ...


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Varies all the time for me, and depends also on which particular performance one gets to hear. Put a loaded gun to my head and tell me to choose in the next 5 seconds or else, and - today - I'd probably go for the "Emperor" too, played by John Lill for preference. Next week it may well be something different.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Piano concerto 3 and 5 and Triple Concerto


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

Missa Solemnis...followed by piano sonata 32 and cello sonata 3. Or maybe the "Archduke" Trio.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Missa, then (in no particular order) Piano Concerto 4, Eroica, Opus 127 quartet, Opp. 109,111 piano sonatas.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

His Pastorale and Les Adieux sonatas. He was mostly a charmless feller to my ears.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

My 2 favorites are the choral symphony and piano sonata "Hammerklavier". The Missa Solemnis would be 3rd.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I voted for Op. 130/33 and Op. 131-- my two favorite works of all time.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

My favorite is the _Choral_ symphony, followed by his late string quartets and the Missa Solemnis.


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## annaw (May 4, 2019)

For a long time I think I would have said that Beethoven's 9th but now I'll go with his late quartets. They are for me the climax of Beethoven's genius (and I adore Op.132 quartet).


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## Geoff48 (Aug 15, 2020)

A surprising choice. Although the second symphony is often seen as his weakest symphony that glorious slow movement is unequalled for beauty in his symphonies. And if pushed to choose a version I would probably go for van Beinum with the Concertgebouw, probably because it was the first version I got to know and I suspect it has imprinted itself on me.


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## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

So many great pieces, but his ninth symphony stands above the others in my opinion. It encapsulates much of what I like in music, more so than the others.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Not the V Cto ...


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## Axter (Jan 15, 2020)

Difficult to rank them. Love them all including many works not on the poll.
Just for the sake of voting, I ticked Eroica and Violin concerto.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Today: Violin Sonatas Nos. 3, 6, 7 & 8 :angel:


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I voted for piano concerto no. 4


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I'm pleased to have four or five different box sets of "Complete Beethoven" in my collection, but it remains the magnificent Fifth Symphony (for all the merits of all the other fine music by this composer) that I would not want to live without knowing. Like the world in music, it embraces everything, long before Mahler suggested that this is what a symphony should do.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Voted symphony no 5. Not because of first movement which I feel is hackneyed, but love the other movements. Not only is the transition between 3rd & 4th movements my favourite, but the final one is so beautiful that even though not meant to be, can make me emotional


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I voted "other"......the works listed are certainly some of Beethoven's greatest - but it excludes such notables as Symphony#7, and Leonore Ov #3...
To single out just one Beethoven work as "greatest" is not possible for me...it changes daily.....


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## Axter (Jan 15, 2020)

Heck148 said:


> To single out just one Beethoven work as "greatest" is not possible for me...it changes daily.....


Indeed. I second that.


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## musichal (Oct 17, 2020)

Today I chose Sym #6. Tomorrow? Don't yet know.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I guess y'all don't realize that you can vote for more than one work ...


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Today it was the violin concerto. Yesterday it was the 7th Symphony. Tomorrow it will be something else.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)




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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

NoCoPilot said:


>


Beethoven's works for woodwind ensemble are awesome - the 6tet, 8tet. Rondino, the Military Marches....early works, but the genius is clearly revealing itself....


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

How about all of the above?


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Difficult to choose but if pushed then I will go with Symphony No.3 Eroica
It just wins in a tight photo finish by a nose.


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## Axter (Jan 15, 2020)

SanAntone said:


> I guess y'all don't realize that you can vote for more than one work ...


Actually I was myself tempted to tick all boxes including others.
I should have done it.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

The OP is obviously not into LvBs piano works. Missing are the last three sonatas, Les Adieux, the Diabelli Variations ..... I could go on


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## Musicaterina (Apr 5, 2020)

My favourite works from Beethoven are the cello sonatas and the Waldstein sonata, but I like other works of him very much, for example the sixth symphony "Pastorale" and the piano concertos (especially the fourth piano concerto).


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Holden4th said:


> The OP is obviously not into LvBs piano works. Missing are the last three sonatas, Les Adieux, the Diabelli Variations ..... I could go on


The OP was trying to balance Beethoven genres. Polls can only have up to 15 options, and the OP needed to include some symphonies, concerti, string quartets, and the Missa Solemnis.

If you'll look again, Piano Sonata no. 32 is one of the options.


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## Pauli91FIN (Jan 15, 2020)

Very difficult to choose between Missa Solemnis, Symphony No. 9 and Grosse Fuge, but I voted for the symphony because it is the work I have most often been listening to. Other symphonies by Beethoven are not as groundbreaking; that's why the last one is my favorite. 

Most of the piano sonatas are great to play but - as a listener - I usually opt for his other works.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

The last 1 minute or so of Op.127/i deserves a mention


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

hammeredklavier said:


> The last 1 minute or so of Op.127/i deserves a mention


And also the other minutes of the same movement and all those of the others, particularly the ones of the Adagio.


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## Botschaft (Aug 4, 2017)

The piano sonatas aren't faring well in this poll for some reason.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Allerius said:


> And also the other minutes of the same movement and all those of the others, particularly the ones of the Adagio.


Sure, they're all good. But I find the way to end the first movement especially sincere in expression.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

hammeredklavier said:


> Sure, they're all good. But I find the way to end the first movement especially sincere in expression.


I was only kidding.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

The _Missa Solemnis_ is so underrated...


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Almost everything except Missa Solemnis.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> Almost everything except Missa Solemnis.


It's the work that Beethoven himself considered his greatest.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Allerius said:


> It's the work that Beethoven himself considered his greatest.


Ludwig and I will have to agree to disagree.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> Ludwig and I will have to agree to disagree.


It's a very great work indeed, but nobody has to like it, of course. Personal taste is personal taste, and to each his own.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Allerius said:


> It's a very great work indeed, but nobody has to like it, of course. Personal taste is personal taste, and to each his own.


I'm sure it's a great piece but not my cup of tea. Religious music bores me to death.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> I'm sure it's a great piece but not my cup of tea. Religious music bores me to death.


I get your point. I think that _Pierrot Lunaire_ is a great piece, yet I can't stand it; on the other hand, _Wellington's Victory_, a piece usually considered to be one of Beethoven's weakest, I actually enjoy.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Today is the Missa Solemnis my favorite.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I had to also click Other for Fidelio.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Allerius said:


> I get your point. I think that _Pierrot Lunaire_ is a great piece, yet I can't stand it; on the other hand, _Wellington's Victory_, a piece usually considered to be one of Beethoven's weakest, I actually enjoy.


I can see your point, I listened to the battle symphony again, I personally find it more exciting than Pachelbel and Buxtehude's sleep-inducing organ music. (I can give Pachelbel's C major fugue some credit for being cute though). I tried to imagine in my mind a napoleonic battle scene as I was listening. 
The battle symphony was criticized for being a pot-boiler, but a lot of classical music we consider great were written for commercial purposes. I don't think it's terribly worse than say, Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. Certain moments of descending chromatic scales in the strings remind me of Rossini, and the overall layout reminds me of Wranitzky, whom Beethoven preferred as the conductor of his new works.


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

Allerius said:


> The _Missa Solemnis_ is so underrated...


I can take or leave the work as an architectural whole, but the violin solo in the Benedictus is one of my favourite passages in all of music.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Gallus said:


> I can take or leave the work as an architectural whole, but the violin solo in the Benedictus is one of my favourite passages in all of music.


I like the Missa, and the violin solo is my favorite part.


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## MisterSolemnis (Dec 22, 2020)

It's my favorite work of all time (Missa Solemnis).


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

MisterSolemnis said:


> It's my favorite work of all time (Missa Solemnis).


Welcome to the site.

Missa Solemnis is my favorite mass. It is tough for me to pick a favorite work of all time, but Missa Solemnis, Beethoven's symphonies, Handel's Messiah, and several operas would all be high up the list.


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