# Your Favorite Set of Works by Beethoven



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

The String Quartets for me, I love each of those very much. They are perhaps some of the most Classical works he produced, especially the earlier ones!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I'd agree on the string quartets, followed by the piano sonatas. These sets are quite consistent in quality, in contrast to the concertos and the symphonies (as always, 'quality' according to my taste).


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

The symphonies and the piano concertos.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

The piano sonatas and the symphonies closely followed by the quartets ... but did Beethoven think he was writing in sets?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> The piano sonatas and the symphonies closely followed by the quartets ... but did Beethoven think he was writing in sets?


Well to write in a genre is to add to that genre which will become a set once no more pieces by that composer are created.

So while they may not think in sets, they become them by default. It's just an interesting question to ask which set by him is your favorite, whether he thought in sets or not.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Piano sonatas for me.


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

For me Piano Sonatas, String Quartets and Symphonies equally.


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

Piano Sonatas > String Quartets > Symphonies


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

It's very difficult for me to choose. I think that, overall and today, I prefer the String Quartets over the Symphonies, the Symphonies over the works with chorus that aren't a symphony (the Missa Solemnis, Fidelio and the Choral Fantasy come to mind), these over the Piano Sonatas, the Piano Sonatas over the Concertos, these over the Cello/Violin Sonatas, and these over the other genres in which he worked, including here the Piano Trios and the Lieder.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Highwayman said:


> Piano Sonatas > String Quartets > Symphonies


Agreed, first two categories are interchangeable in quality, but piano sonatas wins out of sheer quantity.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

The operas!!! All one of them.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Symphonies, String Quartets. Can't choose between them, sorry!

But, without trying to over-egg their relative quality, I do love his Lieder too.....


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Piano Sonatas, especially the middle period. Les Adieux is probably my favourite work by Beethoven.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Symphonies/piano sonatas/string quartets/violin sonatas/piano trios, but very little between the first three.


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## DBLee (Jan 8, 2018)

Symphonies and string quartets.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Symphonies and string quartets for me.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

The Symphonies are below the Quartets for me, but second in rank.


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## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

Symphonies. Piano sonatas. String quartets. Violin sonatas. Piano trios. Cello sonatas. Piano concertos. Yes please, I'll take them all. All of them are remarkable.


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## Schoenberg (Oct 15, 2018)

The symphonies are the obvious number one, even if only for the 9th symphony... that's not to say all the others aren't excellent as well.
After that the piano sonatas and after that the string quartets, but that is likely only because I am more familiar with the sonatas than the string quartets.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

If we all cheating I add the Piano concertos .:angel:


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

It's between the piano sonatas, symphonies and string quartets, isn't it? Those are the forms which contain Beethoven's entire development as an artist from beginning to end. Ordinarily I'd go for the sonatas, which I love dearly...but I've just listened through the Razumovskys and I'm simply in absolute awe at their humour and passion and brilliance, so right now I have to say the string quartets. They're just too good.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

DBLee said:


> Symphonies and string quartets.


Same here. I'm a bit of a symphony nut (as you all know) so they've always been what I turn to first. There used to be a fair distance between them but these days they're pretty close. Love both.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Piano sonatas followed very closely by the string quartets. I've spent the morning listening to Barenboim play some of the early sonatas.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

(just to be original I'll say) Bagatelles




many of them actually sound nostalgic


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

For some reason I have little interest in the symphonies the past few months. I keep coming back to the string quartets and piano sonatas, but with the symphonies, I feel like there is not much more value for me to continue exploring them. 

I hope I come back around, as I would like to gain the level of obsession with these great works that many here seem to have.


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

*Piano Concertos*

If you were asking about Beethoven's most important achievement in music I would say the symphonies. 
But if you are asking about my favorite Beethoven genre it is the piano concertos. 
Other works by Beethoven that I listen to often are the three Razumovsky Quartets. 
I still like the symphonies off course (especially the 3rd), but they are too familiar to my ears now.


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## poconoron (Oct 26, 2011)

Symphonies and piano sonatas.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Well of course, my favorite sets are the piano sonatas, piano concertos, quartets and symphonies in that order, but a set that is rarely mentioned (yes, I know that they are not sets in the usual sense ) is the overtures. These are a treasure trove of one movement symphonies if one feels bad after having maxed out the symphonies.

Some of these overtures are rarely played these days. One of these is the 1822 Consecration of the House with the wonderfully regal opening melody/theme which is yet another example of Beethoven's ability to write fully fleshed out melodies at will, contrary to those who think otherwise. Beethoven opens with the theme and repeats it over the first couple of minutes and then, damn him, never repeats it again just to taunt me .

Edit: This overture followed a period of Beethoven's revisiting the music of Bach and Handel. Note the fugue-like section starting at 4:40. Also, the latter half of the overture reminds of Beethoven's last 2 or 3 symphonies in particular.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Another set seldom mentioned -- the cello sonatas (usually packaged with the cello variations of course). Great stuff!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I think I want to change my response to the Piano Sonatas, Brendel's second rendition of them at that, they are more interesting to the ear for me. The Beethoven ruined classical music thread got me listening to lots of Mozart and Bach.


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## Clouds Weep Snowflakes (Feb 24, 2019)

Piano sonatas and symphonies.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The String Quartets for me, I love each of those very much. They are perhaps some of the most Classical works he produced, especially the earlier ones!


The dances for me









And increasingly the violin sonatas, really because of this recording


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## Guest (May 25, 2019)

Nearly all of it occasionally, but current favourites are:

Middle and late string quartets
Violin sonatas
Piano trios
Piano sonatas


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm kinda burned out on the symphonies, and I'm not an avid quartet listener, so it's the piano sonatas. I never owned any concerto recordings.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

String quartets, Kreutzer sonata, Archduke trio, PCs 3-4, the last 5 piano sonatas... and I'm one of those fools that like his folksongs...


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## Guest (May 26, 2019)

philoctetes said:


> String quartets, Kreutzer sonata, Archduke trio, PCs 3-4, the last 5 piano sonatas... *and I'm one of those fools that like his folksongs*...


Hah! I think the _kilt_ folksongs are a fascinating part of LvB's output.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

My favorite of his piano works are his Bagatelles that represent him in his maturity, his playful, philosophical and thoughtful best:


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

At the risk of being a bit more pedantic. I'd pick the three Rasumovsky and the late quartets, Op 132 in particular


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