# Your Top 10 Favorite Symphonies



## Andante Largo

As in the title.

My Top 10 Favorite Symphonies are:

1. Sibelius, Jean - Symphony No. 7
2. Sibelius, Jean - Symphony No. 4
3. Brahms, Johannes - Symphony No. 2
4. Sgambati, Giovanni - Symphony No. 2
5. Martucci, Giuseppe - Symphony No. 1
6. Rheinberger, Josef - Symphony No. 1
7. Noskowski, Zygmunt - Symphony No. 1
8. Peterson-Berger, Wilhelm - Symphony No. 3
9. Karłowicz, Mieczysław - Symphony "Rebirth"
10. Berg, Natanael - Symphony No. 4


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## Allegro Con Brio

1. Mahler - Symphony No. 9
2. Bruckner - Symphony No. 8
3. Sibelius - Symphony No. 7
4-7: Brahms - Symphonies 1-4
8. Mahler - Symphony No. 6
9-10: Elgar - Symphonies No. 1 and 2

Hovering _just_ below my creme de la creme (really any of them could be in the top 10 on any given day):
Mahler - Symphonies 2 and 4
Bruckner - Symphonies 7 and 9
Sibelius - Symphonies 2, 4, 5, 6
Dvorak - Symphonies 7-9
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6
Nielsen - Symphony No. 5
Schubert - Symphony No. 9
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 5


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## Isaac Blackburn

1. Mahler- Symphony No. 5
2. Mahler- Symphony No. 6
3. Mahler- Symphony No. 7
4. Mahler- Symphony No. 9
5. Mahler- Symphony No. 8
6. Mahler- Symphony No. 2
7. Mahler- Symphony No. 3
8. Bruckner- Symphony No. 4
9. Beethoven- Symphony No.9
10. Bruckner- Symphony No. 8

This list looks a bit strange for some reason but there it is.


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## ORigel

1. Beethoven 9
2. Schubert 9
3. Bruckner 8
4. Bruckner 9
5. Mahler 9
6. Bruckner 7
7. Beethoven 7
8. Brahms 4
9. Mozart 41
10. Brahms 1

If I were to add more: 

Tchaikovsky 6
Brahms 2, 3
Beethoven 5
Mahler 1, 3


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## ORigel

Isaac Blackburn said:


> 1. Mahler- Symphony No. 5
> 2. Mahler- Symphony No. 6
> 3. Mahler- Symphony No. 7
> 4. Mahler- Symphony No. 9
> 5. Mahler- Symphony No. 8
> 6. Mahler- Symphony No. 2
> 7. Mahler- Symphony No. 3
> 8. Bruckner- Symphony No. 4
> 9. Beethoven- Symphony No.9
> 10. Bruckner- Symphony No. 8
> 
> This list looks a bit strange for some reason but there it is.


Mahler 7 is typically underrated.


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## Isaac Blackburn

ORigel said:


> Mahler 7 is typically underrated.


Yeah, a shame. I can certainly see why though- out of Mahler's cycle it took me the longest to understand on not just an analytical level but an emotional one.


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## Gray Bean

Brahms 4
Bruckner 8
Mahler 3
Beethoven 9
Mozart 40
Shostakovich 10
Elgar 1
Tchaikovsky Manfred Sym.
Vaughan Williams 2
Franck Symphony in d


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## Bulldog

1. Mahler's 4th
2. Shostakovich 10th
3. Berlioz Sym. Fantastique
4. Beethoven - 9th
5. Brahms 4th
6. Mahler 2nd
7. Mahler 5th
8. Shostakovich 5th
9. Shostakovich 13th
10. Pettersson 7th


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## Gray Bean

Gosh. I forgot the Berlioz Symphonie!


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## 20centrfuge

Today:

Haydn 44
Prokofiev 3
Prokofiev 6
Beethoven 9
Brahms 3
Barber 1
Arnold 5
Bruckner 5
Franck
Corigliano 1


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## leonsm

1. Bruckner - 8
2-10. Mahler - 2
Mahler - 5
Walton - 1
Shostakovich - 5
Beethoven - 3
Atterberg - 3
Saint-Säens - 3
Szymanowski - 4
Brahms - 4


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## science

Favorite... very difficult to say... 

Brahms 1 
Brahms 4 
Beethoven 5 
Dvorak 9 
Mozart 40 

Ives 4 
Berlioz fantastique
Mozart 38 Prague 
Vaughan Williams 4 
Pettersson 7


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## hammeredklavier

10 Best Symphonies
Ten favorite symphonies


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## SONNET CLV

*Your Top 10 Favorite Symphonies? *

Hmm ... let's see … er, rather, let's hear ... (in no particular ranking order)

Beethoven Fifth
Bruckner Seventh
Brahms First
Schubert Fifth
Sibelius Second
Howard Hanson Second "Romantic"
Nielsen Fourth "Inextinguishable"
Roy Harris Third

*Note -- This list proves meaningless, you know.


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## consuono

In more or less chronological order:

Mozart 35
Mozart 41
Haydn 103
Haydn 104
Beethoven 3
Beethoven 7
Brahms 2
Brahms 4
Mahler 3
Sibelius 5


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## Nereffid

Mahler 6
Beethoven 9
Beethoven 5
Beethoven 3
Mahler 1
Mahler 5
Dvorak 9
Shostakovich 5
Beethoven 7

which is only a top 9. Can't decide on the last one, so I'll cheat and say "Vaughan Williams 3 to 7".


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## Art Rock

Mahler DLVDE
Bruckner 9
Mahler 4
Schubert 8
Gorecki 3
Mahler 9
Dvorak 9
Berlioz Fantastique
Saint-Saens 3
Beethoven 6


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## Highwayman

1. Brahms 4
2. Brahms 1
3. Brahms 2
4. Brahms 3
5. Mahler 5
6. Beethoven 6
7. Sibelius 7
8. Dvořák 8
9. Mendelssohn 3
10. Vaughan Williams 2


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## hammeredklavier

Mahler 1
Mahler 2
Mahler 3
Mahler 4
Mahler 5
Mahler 6
Mahler 7
Mahler 8
Mahler 9
Mahler 10


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## Ravn

1. Bruckner 9
2. Mahler 9
3. Beethoven 9
4. Bruckner 8
5. Bruckner 7
6. Shostakovich 4
7. Sibelius 4
8. Mahler 6
9. Rautavaara 7
10. Strauss - Alpensinfonie


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## NLAdriaan

Mahler 3
Mahler 9
Messiaen Turangalila
Bruckner 5
Mahler 2
Shostakovich 13 Babi Yar
Berlioz Fantastique
Beethoven 7
Brahms 4 
Lutoslawski 3


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## Simplicissimus

I decided to go with one per composer, so it’s my ten favorite symphonies by my ten favorite symphonists from my favorite period of classical music (Modern). I have other favorites from the Classical, Romantic, and late Romantic (Mahler, Sibelius, Elgar in particular) periods.

Paul Hindemith – Symphony “Mathis der Maler”
Charles Ives – Symphony No. 4
Ralph Vaughan Williams – Symphony No. 1 “A Sea Symphony”
Zoltan Kodály – Symphony in C Major
Aram Khachaturian – Symphony No. 3 in C Major “Sinfonia poema”
Sergei Prokofiev – Symphony No. 5
Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5
William Walton – Symphony No. 1
Walter Piston – Symphony No. 2
Alan Hovhaness – Symphony No. 2 “Mysterious Mountain”


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## Shosty

I'll limit myself to a maximum of 2 symphonies per composer. In no order:

Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 15
Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5
Beethoven - Symphony No. 7
Bruckner - Symphony No. 8
Schubert - Symphony No. 8
Mozart - Symphony No. 40
Brahms - Symphony No. 4
Sibelius - Symphony No. 5


And these are 10 symphonies I've recently listened to and loved. In no order:

Louis Farrenc - Symphony No. 3
Rued Langaard - Symphony No. 6 "The Heaven-Rending"
William Grant Still - Symphony No. 1 "Afro-American"
Ahmet Adnan Saygun - Symphony No. 4
Arnold Bax - Symphony No. 3
Ernest John Moeran - Symphony in G minor
Josef Suk - "Asrael" Symphony
Carlos Chavez - Symphony No. 1 "Sinfonia da Antigona
Amy Beach - Symphony in E minor "Gaelic"
Per Norgard - Symphony No. 3


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## Phil loves classical

20centrfuge said:


> Today:
> 
> Haydn 44
> Prokofiev 3
> Prokofiev 6
> Beethoven 9
> Brahms 3
> Barber 1
> Arnold 5
> Bruckner 5
> Franck
> Corigliano 1


You have close to my taste, especially the Brahms 3 over his others.

Haydn 26
Beethoven 9
Berlioz S F
Tchaikovsky 5
Prokofiev 6
Piston 2
Tubin 8
Shostakovich 9
Arnold 7
Henze 7


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## poconoron

Beethoven 7
Beethoven 4
Mozart 40
Mozart 39
Mozart 41
Beethoven 6
Brahms 3
Schubert 9
Dvorak New World
Beethoven 5


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## Eclectic Al

In no particular order:

Brahms 3
Brahms 4
Sibelius 7
Sibelius 6
Walton 1
Vaughan Williams 5
Haydn 44
Haydn 99
Prokofiev 6
Elgar 2


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## Kilgore Trout

Ives New England Holidays
Szymanowski 4
Hartmann 6
Henze 7
Schnittke 1
Vaughan Williams 5
Davies 7
Lutoslawski 3
Terteryan 4
Schmitt Symphonie concertante


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## Brahmsian Colors

No particular order:

Brahms 1
Brahms 2
Brahms 3
Brahms 4
Dvorak 7
Dvorak 8
Schubert 9
Sibelius 6
Vaughan Williams 3
Vaughan Williams 5


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## Animal the Drummer

Mozart 36, 39, 41.
Beethoven 5,7.
Brahms 3.
Elgar 1.
Rott.
Rachmaninov 2.
Balakirev 1.


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## StDior

1. Mahler 2
2. Shostakovich 5
3. Mahler 8
4. Beethoven 5
5. Beethoven 9
6. Beethoven 6
7. Beethoven 3
8. Schubert 8
9. Schubert 9
10. Haydn 104


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## mbhaub

In no particular order:

Franz Schmidt 4
Ernest Bloch C sharp minor
Elgar 2
Beach Gaelic
Glazunov 4
Atterberg 6
Kalinnikov 1
Dvorak 8
Mahler 6
Gliere 3


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## Olias

I know we've all done this before but it's good to do it again from time to time just to see if things change.

Beethoven 7
Beethoven 9
Beethoven 3
Haydn 100
Haydn 104
Mozart 41
Shostakovich 5
Dvorak 7
Dvorak 8
Dvorak 9


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## Eclectic Al

Brahmsian Colors said:


> No particular order:
> 
> Brahms 1
> Brahms 2
> Brahms 3
> Brahms 4
> Dvorak 7
> Dvorak 8
> Schubert 9
> Sibelius 6
> Vaughan Williams 3
> Vaughan Williams 5


Quite an overlap with my choices- apart from Dvorak, as I would have put Schubert 9 and VW 3 on my reserve list. I will need to revisit Dvorak.


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## VitellioScarpia

Mozart 41 
Mozart 25 
Beethoven 3 
Beethoven 7 
Brahms 1 
Mahler 5 
Mahler 2 
Mahler 6 
Ives 4 
Shostakovich 8


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## sstucky

In no particular order:
W. Schuman 3
Piston 2
RVW 1and 2
Walton 1
Shostakovich 1 and 10
Prokofiev 5
Hindemith E flat
Mennin 3


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## Xisten267

Favorites today:

1. Beethoven #9
2. Brahms #4
3. Mahler #9
4. Beethoven #5
5. Brahms #3
6. Schubert #8
7. Tchaikovsky #5
8. Brahms #2
9. Beethoven #6
10. Bruckner #8


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## Brahmsian Colors

Allerius said:


> Favorites today:
> 
> 1. Beethoven #9
> 2. Brahms #4
> 3. Mahler #9
> 4. Beethoven #5
> 5. Brahms #3
> 6. Schubert #8
> 7. Tchaikovsky #5
> 8. Brahms #2
> 9. Beethoven #6
> 10. Bruckner #8


I would certainly have no quibbles about placing nine out of your ten selections on an extended favorites list of my own. :tiphat:


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## MusicSybarite

How many times have we done this?  

I'm gonna be _a bit_ different this time:

Alfvén 4
Casella 2
Cliffe 1
Korngold in F sharp
Malipiero _Sinfonie del silenzio e della morte_
Melartin 3
Rubbra 1
B. Tchaikovsky _Sebastopol_
Weingartner 1
Zimmermann _Sinfonie in einem Satz_


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## Eclectic Al

sstucky said:


> In no particular order:
> W. Schuman 3
> Piston 2
> RVW 1and 2
> Walton 1
> Shostakovich 1 and 10
> Prokofiev 5
> Hindemith E flat
> Mennin 3


Another for Walton. Excellent!


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## Gray Bean

Happy to see the Vaughan Williams Second show up several times on this list. Didn’t I read that it was the composer’s favorite of all his works? 
Regardless, I love it!


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## Caesura

Not in any particular order:

Beethoven 7
Beethoven 9
Beethoven 4
Beethoven 6
Mozart 29
Mozart 32
Mozart 33
Mozart 36
Mozart 40
Schubert 8


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## Bigbang

Phil loves classical said:


> You have close to my taste, especially the Brahms 3 over his others.
> 
> Haydn 26
> Beethoven 9
> Berlioz S F
> Tchaikovsky 5
> Prokofiev 6
> Piston 2
> Tubin 8
> Shostakovich 9
> Arnold 7
> Henze 7


I am intrigued by your preference of Haydn's symphony 26. I can't help but think the opening first movement is been copied by some TV series for their theme music. Anyway, who does it best? I think I have Fischer but know I have La Petite Bande Kuijken


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## Coach G

*My top ten symphonies*:

1. Beethoven 6 _Pastorale_
2. Beethoven 9 _Choral_
3. Beethoven 5
4. Beethoven 7
5. Beethoven 1
6. Beethoven 8
7. Beethoven 4
8. Beethoven 2
9. Beethoven 3 _Eroica_
10. Dvorak 9 _New World_

*My Top Ten Minus Beethoven*:

1. Dvorak 9 _New World_
2. Tchaikovsky 4
3. Shostakovich 5
4. Shostakovich 15
5. Mahler 4
6. Sibelius 2
7. Sibelius 4
8. Sibelius 7
9. Nielsen 3 _Sinfonia Espansiva_
10. Mozart 35 _Haffner_

*Top Ten by an American*:

1. Ives 4
2. Copland 3
3. William Grant Still 1_Afro-American_
4. Hovhaness 2 _Mysterious Mountain_
5. Hovhaness 19 _Vishnu_
6. William Schuman 3
7. Roy Harris 3
8. Adolphus Hailstork 1
9. Ned Rorem 3
10. Lou Harrison 2 _Elegiac_

*Top Ten Premiered Post-World War II*:

1. Shostakovich 15 (1972)
2. Shostakovich 11 _1905_ (1957)
3. Shostakovich 13 _Babi Yar_ (1962)
4. Shostakovich 14 (1969)
5. Gorecki 3 _Sorrowful Songs_ (1977)
6. Copland 3 (1946)
7. Hovhaness 19 _Vishnu _(1966)
8. Vaughan Williams 7 _Sinfonia Antarctica_ (1953)
9. Britten _Cello Symphony _ (1963)
10. Berio _Sinfonia_ (1968)


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## Phil loves classical

Bigbang said:


> I am intrigued by your preference of Haydn's symphony 26. I can't help but think the opening first movement is been copied by some TV series for their theme music. Anyway, who does it best? I think I have Fischer but know I have La Petite Bande Kuijken


Kuijken is my favourite. Love the pacing (Fischer a bit too fast, Dorati way too slow). Also I love the sound of the oboes in the middle movement on period instruments. Hogwood's is also a bit too fast for me, and the balance is too much to the bass. I can hear the cellos more clear than the oboes.


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## MatthewWeflen

Beethoven 6
Sibelius 7
Beethoven 5
Brahms 4
Brahms 1
Beethoven 9
Dvorak 9
Tchaikovsky 4
Mozart 40
Haydn 83


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## janxharris

No great changes for me:

Sibelius 7
Sibelius 5
Shostakovich 5
Sibelius Tapiola*
Beethoven 5
Sibelius 4
Sibelius 6
Vaughan Williams 5
Vaughan Williams 3
Beethoven 6 / 9

* It's very symphonic in my mind (Sibelius wasn't even convinced that his 7th was a symphony initially).


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## trazom

Mozart -Symphony 38 "Prague"
Schumann -Symphony #2 in C
Brahms -Symphony #3
Brahms -Symphony #4
Schubert -Symphony #9
Mahler -Symphony #9
Sibelius -Symphony #7
Sibelius -Symphony #4
Beethoven -Symphony#4
Berlioz -Symphonie fantastique


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## KIMCHI

Mozart 40 & 41
Beethoven 3 & 9
Shostakovich 10
Mahler 1
Sibelius 2
Scriabin 4 (Le Poeme de l'extase)
Dvorak 8
Bruckner 8


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## Orfeo

MusicSybarite said:


> How many times have we done this?
> 
> I'm gonna be _a bit_ different this time:
> 
> Alfvén 4
> Casella 2
> Cliffe 1
> Korngold in F sharp
> Malipiero _Sinfonie del silenzio e della morte_
> Melartin 3
> Rubbra 1
> B. Tchaikovsky _Sebastopol_
> Weingartner 1
> Zimmermann _Sinfonie in einem Satz_


I like, especially the mentioning of Boris Tchaikovsky (personally I like his Second a great deal, but his Sebastopol is really a very good piece). I love that erotic Alfven symphony myself.


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## Joachim Raff

Raff 5
Glazunov 6
Kalinnikov 1
Gliere 3
Taneyev 4
Vorisek: Symphony D Major
Balakirev 1
d'Indy 2
Goldmark 1
Ippolitov Ivanov 1


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## MusicSybarite

Joachim Raff said:


> Raff 5
> Glazunov 6
> Kalinnikov 1
> Gliere 3
> Taneyev 4
> Vorisek: Symphony D Major
> Balakirev 1
> d'Indy 2
> Goldmark 1
> Ippolitov Ivanov 1


Thumbs up for the Raff, Glière, Taneyev and Balakirev. Lately I've felt the Kalinnikov less interesting since my last listen. Maybe I am too overfamiliar with it.


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## flamencosketches

Schubert 8 (the "Unfinished")
Mahler 4
Mahler 2
Beethoven 6
Vaughan Williams 3
Saint-Saëns 3
Górecki 3
Sibelius 5
Bruckner 4
Brahms 2

It could have been an all-Mahler list, so I had to limit myself there, but otherwise I think this is a fairly good representation of my choices. There were also a few by other composers that it really pained me to omit, including Mozart 41, Webern, Honegger 3—but I couldn't think of taking out any of the 10.


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## Art Rock

flamencosketches said:


> Schubert 8 (the "Unfinished")
> Mahler 4
> Mahler 2
> Beethoven 6
> Vaughan Williams 3
> Saint-Saëns 3
> Górecki 3
> Sibelius 5
> Bruckner 4
> Brahms 2


I've never seen a list in all these years that is so close to my own taste - all of these score 5/6 or 6/6 on my scale. Usually there is at least one outlier (often Beethoven 9), but not here.


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## flamencosketches

Art Rock said:


> I've never seen a list in all these years that is so close to my own taste - all of these score 5/6 or 6/6 on my scale. Usually there is at least one outlier (often Beethoven 9), but not here.


Well, you've got great taste then! :tiphat:


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## Beebert

Mahler 2
Mahler 9
Beethoven 3
Beethoven 6
Beethoven 9
Schubert 8
Schubert 9
Sibelius 5
Bruckner 7
Mozart 41


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## D Smith

One per composer, alphabetical.

Beethoven 6
Brahms 3
Bruckner 7
Copland 3
Franck
Mahler 6
Mozart 40
Saint-Saens 3
Shostakovich 10
Sibelius 5


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## Prodromides

1. Andre Jolivet's 3rd Symphony
2. Karol Szymanowski's Symphony No.3 "Song of the Night"
3. Meyer Kupferman's Jazz Symphony
4. Karl-Birger Blomdahl's Symphony No.3 "Faceter"
5. Richard Rodney Bennett's Symphony No.1
6. Vagn Holmboe's Symphony No.6
7. Malcolm Arnold's Symphony No.7
8. Benjamin Frankel's Symphony No.2
9. Isang Yun's Symphony No.2
10. Humphrey Searle's Symphony No.4


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## Mifek

Beethoven 5
Mahler 2
Prokofiev 5
Schubert 8
Mendelssohn 4
Dvořák 9
Tchaikovsky 1
Beethoven 7
Shostakovich 8
Górecki 3


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## tdc

Mozart 38
Mozart 40
Mozart 41
Brahms 2
Brahms 4
Ives 3
Ives 4
Prokofiev 2
Prokofiev 6
Debussy La Mer


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## Superflumina

Beethoven - Symphony No. 7
Schubert - Symphony No. 9
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Berwald - Symphony No. 3
Bruckner - Symphony No. 5
Bruckner - Symphony No. 8
Mahler - Symphony No. 7
Sibelius - Symphony No. 5
Debussy - La Mer
Messiaen - Turangalîla-Symphonie


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## Haydn man

Schubert 8
Mozart 39
Haydn 104
Beethoven 6
Elgar 1
Brahms 4
VW London Symphony
Dvorak 9
Tchaikovsky 6
Mahler 2

This above was my list from a similar thread 6 years ago here on TC
Now I would need to change it
In would come 
Mahler 5
Sibelius 7
Bruckner 4
Beethoven 3
Out would go.............. Now it just gets too hard


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## larold

These are the symphonies in my current playlist:

Roy Harris No. 3
Mozart 31, 34 and 39
Mahler 4
Bax 3 and 6
Bernard Herrmann No. 1
William Alwyn 2, 3 and 5
Bloch "Israel" and E flat major
Christopher Gunning 2, 10 and 12


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## Neo Romanza

In no particular order and one per composer:

Shostakovich: _Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43_
Rachmaninov: _Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27_ 
Sibelius: _Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63_
Martinů: _Symphony No. 4, H. 304_
Weinberg: _Symphony No. 5 in F minor, Op. 76_ 
Vaughan Williams: _Symphony No. 5_
Nielsen: _Symphony No. 5, Op. 50_
Schnittke: _Symphony No. 8_
Copland: _Symphony No. 3_
Pettersson: _Symphony No. 7_


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## DLOinQUEENS

Using the ‘no duplicate composers’ method:

Beethoven - 5
Brahms - 1
Mahler - 1
Tchaikovsky - Manfred
Glazunov - 2
Dvorak - 7
Zemlinsky - 2
Raff - 5
Schmidt - 4
Braga Santos - 4


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## brucknerian1874

Using the music I play more than any other method...

Schumann 2
Brahms 4
Bruckner 5
Bruckner 8
Sibelius 7
Sibelius 5
Mahler 7
Raff 2
Mozart 39
Vaughan Williams 5


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## nncortes

It could be different every day but here it goes . . . 

1. Sibelius 2
2. Brahms 1
3. Sibelius 7
4. Dvorak 9
5. Bruckner 8
6. Mahler 5
7. Beethoven 6
8. Tchaikovsky 6
9. Rachmaninoff 2
10. Shostakovich 5


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## Cristian Lee

1. Kurt Atterberg - Symphony No. 5
2. Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 1
3. Vasili Kalinnikov - Symphony No. 1
4. Alexander Glazunov - Symphony No. 4
5. Felix Weingartner - Symphony No. 4 
6. Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 9
7. Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 3
8. Wilhelm Peterson-Berger - Symphony No. 3
9. Ture Rangström - Symphony No. 2
10. Dmitri Schostakowitsch - Symphony No. 5


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## Plague

1. Mahler no.6
2. Mahler no.3
3. Mahler no.2
4. Beethoven no.3
5. Beethoven no.6
6. Schumann no.4
7. Schubert no.8
8. Bruckner no.8
9. Shostakovich no.10
10. Berlioz Fantastique


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## MusicSybarite

Cristian Lee said:


> 1. Kurt Atterberg - Symphony No. 5
> 2. Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 1
> 3. Vasili Kalinnikov - Symphony No. 1
> 4. Alexander Glazunov - Symphony No. 4
> 5. Felix Weingartner - Symphony No. 4
> 6. Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 9
> 7. Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 3
> 8. Wilhelm Peterson-Berger - Symphony No. 3
> 9. Ture Rangström - Symphony No. 2
> 10. Dmitri Schostakowitsch - Symphony No. 5


Very interesting choices.


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## Axter

Cannot rank them, they keep changing but I have a go:

Mahler 5,
Beethoven 3,
Beethoven 9,
Mahler 1, 
Bruckner 4,
Mahler 6,
Bruckner 7,
Beethoven 5,
Schumann 4,
Berlioz “Fantastique”


Still struggling internally for having left Tchaikovsky 6, and Brahms 2 out....


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## musichal

Haydn 49, 104
Beethoven 3, 6, 9
Brahms 1, 2, 3, 4
Mahler 2, 5, 8, 9
Mozart 31, 40, 41
Berlioz Fantastique
Tchaikovsky 4, 6
Rachmaninoff 2
Schubert 8, 9
Sibelius 2

That's ten, right? Or as close as I can get without a gun to my head... and they are in no ranked order.

Dang-it, left out Bruckner 7, 8, 4, 9 - and other composers, too. Needs more Beethoven. I suck at this game... I forfeit.


----------



## Pat Fairlea

OK, I usually avoid these lists, but here goes. In no particular order:
Beethoven 7
Rachmaninoff 2
Sibelius 4 and 6
Vaughan Williams 3
Borodin 2
Shostakovich 10
Dvorak 8
Tchaikovsky 4
Bax 4

Provisionally, of course!


----------



## Ulfilas

Mozart 41
Beethoven 3
Schumann 2
Brahms 2
Bruckner 8
Mahler 3
Sibelius 4 and 7
Stravinsky, Symphony in Three Movements
Shostakovich 10

Alternative top 10:

William Schuman 8
Roussel 3
Honegger 4
Prokofiev 7
Vaughan Williams 9
Copland Short Symphony
Nielsen 4
Dvorak 8
Mahler 7
Martinu 3


----------



## consuono

Mozart 41
Haydn 104
Haydn 103
Mozart 35
Brahms 4
Brahms 2
Sibelius 5
Sibelius 2
Beethoven 8
Beethoven 3


----------



## Itullian

Brahms 1, 2, 3, 4
Schumann 1, 2, 3, 4
Schubert 9
Beethoven 6


----------



## kyjo

These ones produce the most significant emotional reaction and overall satisfaction in me:

Arnold 5
Atterberg 2
Braga Santos 4
Damase (Symphonie)
Dvořák 7
Korngold (in F-sharp)
Nielsen 5
Saint-Saëns 3
Sibelius 2
Vaughan Williams 2


----------



## brucknerian1874

My dark horse list...

Langgaard 1
Aho 15
Draeseke 3
Hovhannes 2
Borresen 1
Hindsemith E flat
Myaskovsky 5
Weigl 5
Part 3
Magnard 3


----------



## Fabulin

Beethoven 5
Tchaikovsky 5
Dvorak 9
Berlioz Fantastique
Bruckner 4 (1878-1880)
Beethoven 9
Mendelssohn 4
Beethoven 6
Weingartner 3
Messiaen Turangalila


----------



## Chilham

Beethoven 5
Beethoven 9
Dvořák 9
Mendelssohn 4
Mozart 41
Berlioz Fantastique
Schubert 9
Tchaikovsky 6
Brahms 4
Mozart 40

Very, "Middle of the road".


----------



## Agamenon

This list will change tomorrow. 

1.Brahms 4
2.Beethoven 3
3.Shostakovich 4
4.Bruckner 9
5.Mahler 9
6.Mozart 41
7.Franck -symphony in d minor.
8.Messiaen - symphony turangalila
9.Beethoven 9
10.Haydn 104


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## SeptimalTritone

Here are some works from the 20th century that I like. Some of these works aren’t titled Symphony in name, but I feel very well could have been.

Mahler Symphony 4
Mahler Symphony 6
Ives Symphony 4
Varese Ameriques*
Sibelius Symphony 4
Debussy La Mer
Schoenberg Chamber Symphony 1
Webern Symphony op 21
Berg Three Pieces for Orchestra**
Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms
Carter Symphony of Three Orchestras
Ligeti Lontano***

* To me, works like this and the Ives are some of the first great works where orchestral threads/blocks are used as sound elements for their own sake, for the aural image that they create. It’s an aesthetic that reminds me of the later acousmatic music.

** This one is particularly great - it’s one of the last major examples of what we think of as the prototypical aesthetic of the Austro-Viennese symphonic tradition. It has singing melodies throughout the three interconnected movements, placing those melodies in traditional contexts like dances and marches that transcend their usual associations, and developing them with a relentless energy.

*** This is the only work on this list where the usual distinction between instrumental voices that comprise polyphony break down, so that we are on the edge between what we normally think of as harmony and what we normally think of as noise/sound. This is to me the most physically electrifying work on this list. This and the similar work titled Atmospheres are to my ears not mere atmosphere-painting or scene-painting because they are, at a larger scale, highly tonally goal-directed.


----------



## vtpoet

(While everyone else is going for the Romantic composers and later-a different list.)

M Haydn - Symphony #3 in G Major






CPE Bach - Symphony # 3
JC Bach - Symphony in G Minor






Haydn Symphony 6.7 & 8
Haydn Symphony 104 (or any of his Paris Symphonies)
Mozart Symphony #38
Beethoven Symphony #7
Beethoven Symphony #8


----------



## MatthewWeflen

I've narrowed it down to 26. That's as low as I'll go. Each of these is essential and stays in my frequent rotation.

Beethoven 3 5 6 7 9
Brahms 1 4
Sibelius 5 6 7
Tchaikovsky 4 5 6
Dvorak 9
Schumann 4
Mendelssohn 1 3
Schubert 2 7 9
Haydn 82 83
Mozart 40
Bruckner 7 8 9


----------



## MusicSybarite

brucknerian1874 said:


> My dark horse list...
> 
> Langgaard 1
> Aho 15
> Draeseke 3
> Hovhannes 2
> Borresen 1
> Hindsemith E flat
> Myaskovsky 5
> Weigl 5
> Part 3
> Magnard 3


The first time I see a mention of Aho, Draeseke, Weigl, Pärt and Hindemith's Symphony in E-flat.


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## eric1

1. Beethoven 9
2. Beethoven 3
3. Mozart 41
4. Mahler 9
5. Mahler 2
6. Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
7. Tchaikovsky 6
8. Dvorak 9
9. Schubert 9
10. Brahms 4

Honorable mention: Mozart 40, Beethoven 5-7, Schubert 8, Mendelssohn 4, Brahms 1-3, Dvorak 7, Bruckner 7-9, anything else by Mahler, Sibelius 7, Shostakovich 5, Vaughan Williams 5


----------



## eric1

What do you like about Mahler 4? I've seen several people list it, but it's my least favorite of all the Mahler symphonies. I like the inner movements a lot, but the outer movements are bit like nails on a chalkboard for me. Give me 9, 6, 2, 3, 5, 1, 7....


----------



## Bulldog

eric1 said:


> What do you like about Mahler 4?


Everything, especially the final movement with its depiction of nature, sublime serenity, and the necessary drama to hold it together.


----------



## eric1

I'll keep listening to it, but I'm not sure I'm sold...

Here are my picks....
For depiction of nature: Mahler 3, Beethoven 6
For sublime serenity: Mahler 9 (finale)
For drama (happy ending): Beethoven 9 (finale), Mahler 2 (finale)
For drama (sad ending): Mahler 6, Tchaikovsky 6


----------



## hammeredklavier

vtpoet said:


> (While everyone else is going for the Romantic composers and later-a different list.)


You might also like these:







hammeredklavier said:


> C.P.E. Bach - Symphony In F Major Wq. 183/3
> Mozart - Symphony No. 40 In G Minor K 550


----------



## MusicSybarite

*The major list:*

Anton Bruckner: *Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107*
Antonín Dvorák: *Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88*
Reinhold Glière: *Symphony No. 3 in B minor, Op. 42 Ilya Muromets*
Rued Langgaard: *Symphony No. 6 in F major, BVN 165 Det Himmelrivende (Järvi's rendition)*
Gustav Mahler: *Symphony No. 6 in A minor Tragic*
Carl Nielsen: *Symphony No. 5, Op. 50*
Dmitry Shostakovich: *Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65*
Jean Sibelius: *Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105*
Eduard Tubin: *Symphony No. 2 in B minor The Legendary*
William Walton: *Symphony No. 1 in B flat minor*

*An alternative 2nd list:*

Granville Bantock: *A Celtic Symphony for string orchestra and six harps*
Ludwig van Beethoven: *Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92*
Alfredo Casella: *Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 12*
Alexander Glazunov: *Symphony No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 16 To the Memory of Liszt*
Vagn Holmboe: *Symphony No. 8, Op. 56 Sinfonia boreale*
Leevi Madetoja: *Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 35*
Erkki Melartin: *Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 40*
Kaljo Raid: *Symphony No. 1*
Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky: *Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64*
Ralph Vaughan Williams: *Symphony No. 5 in D major*

I have Brahms' 4th in high esteem, but lately I've got tired of it.


----------



## vtpoet

hammeredklavier said:


> You might also like these:


CPE is really incredible.

Only Bendas very early symphonies resemble them and Mendelssohn's childhood symphonies (has anyone mentioned those yet?).


----------



## AClockworkOrange

At present and in no order:

Haydn: Symphony No. 85 "La Reine"
Haydn: Symphony No. 92 "Oxford"
Haydn: Symphony No. 100 "Military"
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 "Reformation"
Schumann: Symphony No. 1 "Spring"
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
Brahms: Symphony No.2

This is off the top of my head. Ideally I'd have one choice per composer and there are some I'd like to revisit first but I stand by the choices here. Narrowing it down to ten is always going to mean some will be missed though so no one list will ever suffice, for me anyhow.


----------



## MrMeatScience

Hard to say... No particular order here:

Mahler 4
Mahler 9
Mahler 10
Shostakovich 15
Brahms 3
Brahms 4
Schnittke 3
Bruckner 9
Sibelius 7
Dvorak 7

All of Mahler would make the list if I had 20 slots. 10 isn't enough... Leaving off Mahler 7 and DLVDE to make room for others!


----------



## rice

10 favourite at the moment.

Myaskovsky 22, 25
Richard Wetz 2, 3
Lyatoshynsky 3
Shostakovich 5
Mahler 2, 5, 6
Karlowicz "Rebirth"


----------



## MusicSybarite

rice said:


> 10 favourite at the moment.
> 
> Myaskovsky 22, 25
> Richard Wetz 2, 3
> Lyatoshynsky 3
> Shostakovich 5
> Mahler 2, 5, 6
> Karlowicz "Rebirth"


Good choices! The Lyatoshynsky is such an epic work!


----------



## DeepR

Currently I'd say:

Mozart 41
Beethoven 3
Mahler 2 (mostly for the final movement)
Bruckner 5 (mostly for the final movement), 8, 9 (incomplete version)
Scriabin 4, 5 (ha!)
Von Hausegger - Nature Symphony
Sibelius 7


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## Littlephrase

one per composer, or else it would be mostly Mahler: 

Mahler 9 
Brahms 4 
Beethoven 3
Shostakovich 8 
Sibelius 5 
Bruckner 8
Schumann 2 
Nielsen 5 
Mozart 38 
Suk Asrael 

Some favorites that I feel obliged to mention: Messiaen Turangalila, Berlioz Fantastique, Dvorak 7, Prokofiev 6, Martinu 1, Honegger 3, Pettersson 6, Lutoslawski 3, Schnittke 3, and a lot of symphonies by Haydn.


----------



## hammeredklavier

Littlephrase1913 said:


> one per composer, or else it would be mostly Mahler


Speaking of Mahler, I like your old avatar better than your new one, btw


----------



## Simon Moon

No particular order...

Elliott Carter - A Symphony of Three Orchestras
Krzysztof Penderecki - Symphony No. 3
Charles Wuorinen - Eighth Symphony
Chalres Wuorinen - Micorsymphony 
Stefan Wolpe - symphony No. 1
Luciano Berio - Sinfonia
Schoenberg - Chamber symphony
Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Symphony No. 7
Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Symphony No. 8
Peter Maxwell Davies - Symphony No. 7

So many more that could make this list...


----------



## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

Right now it feels like

Beethoven 3
Beethoven 7
Brahms 3
Brahms 4
Sibelius 3
Sibelius 5
Sibelius 7
Mahler 5
Bruckner 9
Shostakovich 10


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## trbl0001

Um...

1. Beethoven 9
2. Beethoven 5

Then in no order... more Beethoven, some more Beethoven (um, 3,6,8) Brahms 1, Tchaikovsky 4 and 6, Shostakovich 5 and 8, Vaughan Williams 3, something like that. Possibly Bruckner 4 or 7.

Perhaps slightly predictable choices, but when started listening to classical music, I thought it was all about symphonies, so started with that a bit. I love symphonies in the concert hall, but when I'm listening at home, I find you don't really get the experience, and it's difficult at home to listen for that kind of length. It would be great to sit at home and listen to a Bruckner symphony from start to end and do nothing else but realistically it's not something I do much, so I mainly listen to chamber music at home and learn the symphonic repertoire more through concerts.


----------



## Gothos

In no particular order...

Beethoven 7th
Tchaikovsky 5th
Bruckner 4th
Schubert 5th
Shostakovich 5th
Shostakovich 11th
Hanson 2nd
Beethoven 6th
Mozart 40th
Neilsen 4th


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## Lisztian

I actually haven't listened very much to many symphonies, now that I think about it, so my list will be boring:

Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Berlioz Harold in Italy
Berlioz Romeo et Juliette
Tchaikovsky 6
Sibelius 7
Berio Sinfonia
Penderecki 7
Shostakovich 5
Strauss Alpine
Mahler 6

No particular order


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## eric1

1. Beethoven 9
2. Beethoven 3
3. Mozart 41
4. Mahler 9
5. Mahler 2
6. Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
7. Tchaikovsky 6
8. Dvorak 9
9. Schubert 9
10. Brahms 4


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## kyjo

brucknerian1874 said:


> My dark horse list...
> 
> Langgaard 1
> Aho 15
> Draeseke 3
> Hovhannes 2
> Borresen 1
> Hindsemith E flat
> Myaskovsky 5
> Weigl 5
> Part 3
> Magnard 3


Big thumbs-up for the Langgaard, Hovhanness, Borresen, Part, and Magnard!


----------



## kyjo

rice said:


> 10 favourite at the moment.
> 
> Myaskovsky 22, 25
> Richard Wetz 2, 3
> Lyatoshynsky 3
> Shostakovich 5
> Mahler 2, 5, 6
> Karlowicz "Rebirth"


All great works! (Though I haven't listened to Wetz 3 yet.)


----------



## kyjo

kyjo said:


> These ones produce the most significant emotional reaction and overall satisfaction in me:
> 
> Arnold 5
> Atterberg 2
> Braga Santos 4
> Damase (Symphonie)
> Dvořák 7
> Korngold (in F-sharp)
> Nielsen 5
> Saint-Saëns 3
> Sibelius 2
> Vaughan Williams 2


My alternative list:

Alfvén 3
Andreae (C major)
Brahms 4
Bruckner 9
Elgar 2
Hanson 3
Lloyd 4
Prokofiev 5
Rachmaninoff 2
Suk 1 (E major)


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## Colin M

Dvorak No.9
Beethoven No. 6
DSCH No. 5
DSCH No. 11
DSCH No. 10
Sibelius No. 4
My first five. I will have to think for a while on the second top five : ) and by the way the brilliance of the quiet steps on silent soft snow quickly leading to chaos in DSCH No. 11 may be one of the great Symphony openings now and forever ...


----------



## msr13

Shostakovich 10
Mahler 6
Brahms 3
Rachmaninov 2
Beethoven 7
Bruckner 8
Schumann 4
Shostakovich 7
Brahms 1
Sibelius 7


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## juliante

kyjo said:


> My alternative list:
> 
> Alfvén 3
> Andreae (C major)
> Brahms 4
> Bruckner 9
> Elgar 2
> Hanson 3
> Lloyd 4
> Prokofiev 5
> Rachmaninoff 2
> Suk 1 (E major)


Good to see Elgar 2 popping up. There are some sections in this piece that are utterly transporting for me.


----------



## mparta

I was worried because I didn't see any Schumann for the first few pages! 
Schumann 2 sticks with me, I think that counts, the performance by the VPO and Sinopoli just spectacular. The other Schumann symphonies are not of the same caliber by their "sticking in my head" criterion.







And to make this list, it seems counterproductive to list Beethoven. All of Beethoven counts. So to see what others do:
Mozart Jupiter and Prague, although all the last 6 or so count.
That makes 3 specifics.
Schubert 5 and the great C major.
that makes 5
and in no particular order
Symphonie Fantastique
Brahms 2-- in years gone by it would have been 1 or 4, tastes change
Shostakovich 8
Prokofiev 1 and 5








Blazing playing in the 5th from the CSO, knocks everyone else off the block

And that puny list makes 10, how unfortunate!

Now, if were going to go off and do more than 10....


----------



## happyclassicalfeet

10. Beethoven 5, C Minor
9. Tchaikovsky 6, B Minor
8. Mendelssohn 4, A Major
7. Mozart 39, Eb Major
6. Brahms 2, D Major
5. Beethoven 7, A Major
4. Mozart 38, D Major
3. Brahms 4, E Minor
2. Mozart 40, G Minor
1. Mozart 41, C Major, Jupiter


----------



## Beebert

1. Schubert 9
2. Beethoven 9
3. Mozart 41
4. Beethoven 6
5. Mahler 9
6. Schubert 8
7. Mahler 2
8. Brahms 4
9. Dvořák 9
10. Beethoven 3


----------



## Bxnwebster

My Top 10 (actually 14 because I couldn't narrow it down any further)
1.	Rachmaninoff 2
2.	Mahler 5
3.	Haydn 49
4.	Rott
5.	Saint-Saëns 3
6.	Roussel 3
7.	Mendelssohn 5
8.	Dvorak 9
9.	Janacek Sinfonietta
10.	Sibelius 7
11.	Szymanowski 4
12.	Brahms 3
13.	Prokofiev 5
14.	Sibelius 5


----------



## Gabriel Lacombe

In no particular order, nowadays my favorites are:

Mahler 3
Brahms 1
Gorecki 3
Shostakovich 10
Pettersson 6
Mahler 5
Schumann 4
Bruckner 8
Mozart 39
Beethoven 8


----------



## Gabriel Lacombe

Schumann 2 is an amazing symphony, I use to listen it with Bernstein and the Wiener Philharmoniker. I can't wait to hear the version with Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhaus doing the Mahler orchestration for this symphony.


----------



## HerbertNorman

@Gabriel Lacombe : great list... I'll need to check out the Pettersson again though


----------



## HerbertNorman

1. Beethoven 9
2. Beethoven 7
3. Schubert 9
4. Schumann 3
5. Shostakovich 10
6. Nielsen 3
7. Dvorak 8
8. Sibelius 2
9. Dvorak 9
10. Mendelssohn 4

This was difficult though, jeez...


----------



## consuono

Sibelius 5, 2
Shostakovich 5, 10
Mozart 35, 41
Mahler 9, 3
Bruckner 4, 5

I've become much more of a "Brucknerian" lately, probably at the expense of the Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms that I would've listed a couple of months ago. I'd probably also include Bruckner 6-9 (I haven't listened closely yet to 0-3).


----------



## Adri Zuidervaart

Isaac Blackburn said:


> 1. Mahler- Symphony No. 5
> 2. Mahler- Symphony No. 6
> 3. Mahler- Symphony No. 7
> 4. Mahler- Symphony No. 9
> 5. Mahler- Symphony No. 8
> 6. Mahler- Symphony No. 2
> 7. Mahler- Symphony No. 3
> 8. Bruckner- Symphony No. 4
> 9. Beethoven- Symphony No.9
> 10. Bruckner- Symphony No. 8
> 
> This list looks a bit strange for some reason but there it is.


Whats 'wrong' wity Mahler 1 & 4?


----------



## Bruckner Anton

1. Beethoven 3, the beginning of a new era
2. Beethoven 9, one of the most influencial piece in 19th centry
3. Brahms 4, a succinct combination of romantic, classical and baroque styles 
4. Mozart 41, last movement is a miracle
5. Berlioz, a revolutionary piece
6. Schumann 4, his best, unique in style
7. Tchaikovsky 6, highly sentimental
8. Bruckner 8, the pinnacle of his unique approach
9. Mahler 9, one of his finest
10. Sibelius 7, his best


----------



## kodkod3

1. Tchaikovsky 6
2. Beethoven 9
3. Dvorak 9
4. Beethoven 6
5. Beethoven 3
6. Beethoven 7
7. Sibelius 2
8. Sibelius 5
9. Shostakovich 5
10. Shostakovich 8


----------



## dko22

Suk Asrael
Bruckner 6
Bruckner 9
Weinberg 19
Weinberg 17
Schmidt 2
Sibelius 7
Mahler 10
Nielsen 3
Rachmaninov 1

Roughly in order with no more than two for any composer


----------



## Neo Romanza

This will change daily, weekly, monthly, yearly...but for today (in no particular order):

1. Mahler: _Symphony No. 3 in D minor_
2. Bruckner: _Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106_ 
3. Shostakovich: _Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43_
4. Tchaikovsky: _Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathétique"_
5. Dvořák: _Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70, B. 141_
6. Sibelius: _Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63_
7. Martinů: _Symphony No. 4, H. 305_
8. Nielsen: _Symphony No. 5, Op. 50, FS 97_
9. Pettersson: _Symphony No. 7_
10. Weinberg: _Symphony No. 5 in F minor, Op. 76_


----------



## Dimace

Hmm... I will submit again a list, just to write something. (no particular order)

Tschaikowsky 5th
Sibelius 1st
Mahler 2nd
Mahler 5th
Mahler 8th
Bruckner 8th
Bruckner 9th
Fibich 2nd
Scriabin 1st
Beethoven 9th


----------



## Neo Romanza

Dimace said:


> Hmm... I will submit again a list, just to write something. (no particular order)
> 
> Tschaikowsky 5th
> Sibelius 1st
> Mahler 2nd
> Mahler 5th
> Mahler 8th
> Bruckner 8th
> Bruckner 9th
> Fibich 2nd
> Scriabin 1st
> Beethoven 9th


Now make a list, but limit it to one composer per symphony.


----------



## Celloman

In the best interests of the enlightened public, I will restrict myself to one composer per symphony.

Beethoven - Symphony No. 6
Mozart - Symphony No. 40
Brahms - Symphony No. 4
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6
Sibelius - Symphony No. 6
Mahler - Symphony No. 6
Bruckner - Symphony No. 7
Nielsen - Symphony No. 4
Gorecki - Symphony No. 3
Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 5

The number 6 seems to come up rather frequently. I wish I knew why.


----------



## HenryPenfold

Bruckner 3
Bruckner 5
Bruckner 8
LvB Eroica
LvB 6
Mahler 2
Mahler 3
Arthur Bliss Colour Symphony
DSCH 4
Tchaikovsky 6


----------



## haziz

This changes every few months, but for now here goes:

1. Beethoven 5
2. Beethoben 9 "Choral"
3. Beethoven 3 "Eroica"
4. Tchaikovsky 5
5. Tchaikovsky 2 "Little Russian"
6. Tchaikovsky 6 "Pathetique"
7. Beethoven 7
8. Dvorak 5 (currently my favorite Dvorak symphony, but a few months ago I would have placed Dvorak's Nos. 6-9 well ahead of it)
9. Kalinnikov 1 (a few years ago I had not even heard of the composer!)
10. Tchaikovsky 4
11. Beethoven 6
12 ..... 15 Dvorak Nos. 6 to 9 (order of preference varies day to day)

16. Mendelssohn 4 "Italian"
17. Brahms 2
18. Brahms 4
19. Tchaikovsky 1
20. Tchaikovsky 3
21. Kalinnikov 2
22. Shostakovich 5
23. Shostakovich 9
24. Brahms 1
25. Brahms 3
26. Mendelssohn 3 "Scottish"
27. ???

The precise sequence of Nos. 11-26 is more fluid than for my favorite ten.


----------



## larold

The symphonies on my current playlist:

Robert Simpson Nos. 5 and 6

Darius Milhaud Little Symphonies 1 and 5

Bloch Symphony In C Sharp Minor and Trombone Symphony

Haydn Symphony No. 52

Khachaturian Symphony 3

Franck Symphony in D

Webern Symphony


----------



## DeepR

This is madness. How can any list not include Bruckner 5?  :trp:
(just listened to it again)


----------



## Dimace

DeepR said:


> This is madness. How can any list not include Bruckner 5?  :trp:
> (just listened to it again)


To make a list with Bruckner's 4th up to 9th and with Mahler's 2,5,8, leave no space for other composers. But you are correct. 5th is a GREAT one.


----------



## haziz

Neo Romanza said:


> Now make a list, but limit it to one composer per symphony.


Interesting concept, here goes:

*Beethoven 5*
*Tchaikovsky 2 *'Little Russian' _(I ranked Tchaikovsky's 5th one spot ahead of it in my other list, but Tchaikovsky's 2nd has always been a bit of a sentimental favorite of mine)_
*Dvorak 5*
*Mendelssohn 4* 'Italian'
*Kalinnikov 1*
*Shostakovich 5*
*Brahms 2*
*Elgar 2*
*Mozart 40*
*Mahler 2* _(this is going to be controversial - the first 3 movements only)_


----------



## Dimace

Neo Romanza said:


> Now make a list, but limit it to one composer per symphony.


(no particular order)

Tschaikowsky 5th (this will NEVER change)
Sibelius 1st
Scriabin 1st
Mahler 5th
Bruckner 9th
Schubert 7th (unfinished)
Beethoven 7th
Dvorak 9th (or 5th as I like) 
Fibich 2nd
Brahms 1st


----------



## Dimace

haziz said:


> Interesting concept, here goes:
> 
> *Beethoven 5*
> *Tchaikovsky 2 *'Little Russian' _(I ranked Tchaikovsky's 5th one spot ahead of it in my other list, but Tchaikovsky's 2nd has always been a bit of a sentimental favorite of mine)_
> *Dvorak 5*
> *Mendelssohn 4* 'Italian'
> *Kalinnikov 1*
> *Shostakovich 5*
> *Brahms 2*
> *Elgar 2*
> *Mozart 40*
> *Mahler 2* _(this is going to be controversial - the first 3 movements only)_


Correct! A list (like my list) without one of Mozart's last symphonies is incomplete. Mahler's 2nd (for me) for the last movement!


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## HenryPenfold

Neo Romanza said:


> Now make a list, but limit it to one composer per symphony.


There is only one composer per symphony.


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## Art Rock

Dimace said:


> Correct! A list (like my list) without one of Mozart's last symphonies is incomplete.


I'd have to dig very deep to make a correct list then. Certainly beyond 100.


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## Bill Cooke

On this particular day, in no particular order, only one per composer:

Shostakovich 4
Vaughan Williams 4
Walton 1
Prokofiev 3
Martinu 3
Suk: Asrael
Korngold
Bax 2
Mahler 6
W. Schuman 3


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## haziz

haziz said:


> Interesting concept, here goes:
> 
> *Beethoven 5*
> *Tchaikovsky 2 *'Little Russian' _(I ranked Tchaikovsky's 5th one spot ahead of it in my other list, but Tchaikovsky's 2nd has always been a bit of a sentimental favorite of mine)_
> *Dvorak 5*
> *Mendelssohn 4* 'Italian'
> *Kalinnikov 1*
> *Shostakovich 5*
> *Brahms 2*
> *Elgar 2*
> *Mozart 40*
> *Mahler 2* _(this is going to be controversial - the first 3 movements only)_


The more I think about it, the more I want to add *Borodin's 2nd symphony* as the 11th choice of 10, in this list!


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## Chilham

Chilham said:


> Beethoven 5
> Beethoven 9
> Dvořák 9
> Mendelssohn 4
> Mozart 41
> Berlioz Fantastique
> Schubert 9
> Tchaikovsky 6
> Brahms 4
> Mozart 40
> 
> Very, "Middle of the road".


What change from last October?

=1: Beethoven 9 - sometime it's 5-9
=1: Beethoven 5 - and sometimes it's 9-5
=3: Beethoven 6 - Dausgaard and the SCO turned me round on this symphony
=3: Mahler 6 - Chailly and Karajan have helped me find my Mahler "mojo"
=3: Brahms 1
=3: Schubert 8
=3: Berlioz Fantastique - remains top-10 thanks to Jos van Immerseel and Anima Eterna
=3: Sibelius 7 - at last, a Sibelius symphony I can get behind
=3: Voříšek in D - I've fallen in love with this little symphony
=10: I have 18 symphonies currently rated the same including Dvořák, Mozart, Bruckner, and others, but if I had to pick one, I'll go with the last of these I listened to, Berlioz Romeo et Juliette

Given how much I enjoy Tchaikovsky, I'm surprised how few of his symphonies appear in my list.


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## pianozach

I don't think I can make a list, especially since some of my favorite orchestral pieces are suites and tone poems, and one movement works.

In no particular order, and 10 different composers:

Tchaikovsky 6
Dvorak 9
Beethoven 9
Mozart 41
Haydn 104
Schubert 8
Mahler 2
Brahms 4
Bruckner 4
Rachmaninov 2

That was hard.


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## Neo Romanza

HenryPenfold said:


> There is only one composer per symphony.


No, I meant limit the choice to only one composer per symphony as in the composer can only be used once.


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## HenryPenfold

Neo Romanza said:


> No, I meant limit the choice to only one composer per symphony as in the composer can only be used once.


There _is_ a limit of only one composer per symphony.

Having reflected on this, I think perhaps you mean "limit the choice to one symphony per composer"


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## Neo Romanza

HenryPenfold said:


> There _is_ a limit of only one composer per symphony.
> 
> Having reflected on this, I think perhaps you mean "limit the choice to one symphony per composer"


Yes! It's always nice to meet someone who has a better command of the English language that I do.


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## JohnP

The first six are absolutes, but most of these are #1 when I'm listening to them.

Beethoven 6
Sibelius 7
Mahler 6
Sibelius 2
Beethoven 8
Shostakovich 10
Bruckner 8
Haydn 98
Shostakovich 5
Walton 1


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## szabomd

Brahms 1
Brahms 4
Mahler 6
Mahler 2
Tchaikovsky 1
Shostakovich 7
Sibelius 2
Tchaikovsky 6
Mahler 7
Sibelius 7 or Brahms 2


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