# The Shostakovich Symphonies poll



## Chi_townPhilly

With mention of Shostakovich on the rise (in various places on this board), the time seems right for the inevitable question "What is your favorite Shostakovich symphony?" As I'm limited to 10 fields, I'll have to resort to some supposition concerning the front-runners. Please bear with me anyway.


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## david johnson

5, and 7, and 10, and.... 

dj


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## Edward Elgar

No contest really! The 5th is the most consise, musical and emotional. Athough the 1st is very well put together.


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## ChamberNut

Symphony No. 5 for me. Well, that's the only one I've heard so far. And it was live in the concert hall!  Enjoyed it alot!


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## Mr Salek

As above, except I played it


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## music17

I've only heard the 5th Symphony. My orchestra played it. It is an amazing work!


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## Mr Salek

music17 said:


> I've only heard the 5th Symphony. My orchestra played it. It is an amazing work!


Exactly the same for me


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## cato

This is really amazing. I can't believe that the 5th beat out all the others.  

I voted for the 11th, (The Year 1905). I love ALL his work, but for me, the 11th is the best.

(Probably having a lot to do with the fact that I love history.  )


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## Rondo

11, 10, 7, 9, 5, 4 The fifth is good, but not his best in my opinion.


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## Guest

Cato, the fifth didn't really beat out all the others. As people said, the fifth is the ONLY one they've heard.

Now THAT's incredible. 

Really, folks. Y'all shouldn't vote for favorites unless you have a favorite! Choosing the fifth out of your personal list which consists of only the fifth?

I've listened to all of them, many times, and that's why I didn't vote for a favorite. Because they're mostly all pretty good in one way or another. I'm not terribly fond of number seven or twelve or fourteen. But who cares? Those three all have their proponents, for sure. Best I can do is say that the fifteenth is probably the best and that the eighth and the fourth are the two I listen to most frequently.


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## Frasier

Voting for 10, where he really started to break from the mould and express himself. No more of that social realism, he said. The scherzo is demonic, the rest desolate until the end of the last movement.

Edit: I prefer Karajan's version, the most taut of performances


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## Chi_townPhilly

Am I surprised that Symphony #5 leads the pack?... No--

Am I surprised at the margin?... Yes.

Symphony 5 is the "entry work" for Shostakovich- but then again, sometimes people have reasons for feeling that the entry work is the best (c.f.: my attitude towards Sibelius 2, heh heh heh ).

Still, I have to echo *some*'s observation and add that for those of you who liked 5, but have heard little else, buy, beg, or borrow (but _don't_ steal) other Shostakovich sypmhonies, and treat yourself a little bit. How do I feel? 11, 13, 5, 10 abide, but the greatest of these is 10


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## Rondo

Of course, that doesn't preclude the fact that there are some "gems" to be found _before_ the "entry work." For instance, Sibelius 1 and Shostakovich 4 are notable.


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## Lisztfreak

I have finished listening to my new complete Shostakovich symphonies box, so I feel rightful to vote now.

Of those listed, I choose the 11th. Very, very dark and powerful.

However, my real favourite is in fact the* 8th*. The longest and most profound nocturne I've ever heard, that's how I'd describe it.

Other highly memorable pieces: 
- No.4 (especially the second half of the last mvt, when the timpani take the ostinato bass and then the quiet ending)
- No.5, a tour-de-force
- No.6, with surprising contrasts
- of course, the Leningrad 7th
- No.9 was a pleasant surprise
- I didn't quite manage to get into No.10, but it's genuinely austere - in Shozzy's style
- No.12 (first, third and the first half of the final mvt)
- No.14 (very dark, once again)
- No.15, strange but unforgettable

P.S. In fact, nearly all are _extremely _good.


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## alan sheffield

*4th*

Perhaps surprisingly I heard the 4th before any other of his symphonies. This was in my early exploring days when I didn't know much about classical music and I used to borrow records from a library. Well, number 4 just happened to be one of the few Shostakovich symphonies they had in. It was Ormandy's pioneering record in the early 60's just after it had been played for the first time having been put in a drawer for 28 years.

I just think it has just about everything you need in a piece of music. Massive mood changes. Big climaxes. Resourceful use of orchestra. A great ending. Just waiting for that last tinkle on the glockenspiel is amazing. Only a great composer like Shostakovich could make such a simple thing so meaningful.

OK, structurally it is not brilliant at least in the first movement, but for me that doesn't matter when the music itself is so good.


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## alan sheffield

Did anyone spot the non-deliberate mistake in my posting? The last tinkle of the 4th Symphony is on the celesta not the glockenspiel.


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## Lisztfreak

Sometimes the two instruments sound so alike that I have serious trouble deciding which one I hear.


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## cjr3559

Nos. 2, 3, and 4. 

Just kidding!!

Another tough question, but for me, it's a toss up between 1, 5, and 10. If I had to rate them, my preference is:

5, 1, 10, 9, 7, 8, 6, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 4, 3, 2. I know it looks like I'm just counting down numbers, but honestly, I think I've heard Nos. 11-15 one time a piece, and 2, 3, and 4 are not my favorites at all.

So to sum up my preference: 5, 1, 10, 9, 7, and 8. 6 doesn't do much for me either way.


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## Lisztfreak

Why such a fascination with the 5th, really?


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## cjr3559

Lisztfreak said:


> Why such a fascination with the 5th, really?


Not certain why No. 5 is most popular, but it seems to be the most audience friendly and most easily accessible. No. 9 is probably a bit more audience friendly, however sometimes I feel that it's a little too "light" and lacks the depth in which one can be accustomed in the other great Shostakovich symphonies.

Perhpas it's the old "adversity and the overcoming of obstacles with triumph" that makes No. 5 so popular and inviting.


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## cjr3559

One more observation about No. 5....

It's been a little while since I listened to it, so I decided to play it. The ending of the 1st movement is absolutely haunting. I personally cannot find writing like that in any of the other symphonies. Yes, the 4 minute Allegro of the 10th symphony or even the 3rd movement of the 8th are well written and exciting, but the orchestration gets me in the ending of that first movement in No. 5 every time. 

What is it --- the part I'm thinking about near the end starts out with a low flute solo, moves to the piccolo, then solo violin, all in a state of tonal flux with harp. Meanwhile the trumpets and timpani are ominously tapping out D minor in the background? All of this over the deep sostenuto strings. And what about the celesta (or is it just bells)? 

Awesome.


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## Lisztfreak

cjr3559 said:


> No. 9 is probably a bit more audience friendly, however sometimes I feel that it's a little too "light" and lacks the depth in which one can be accustomed in the other great Shostakovich symphonies.


It was written to be sarcastic, I read. Often, you don't know whether it's jubilation or irony dancing around a Shostakovich symphony. That's what makes them confusing sometimes.

I really do like the 5th. It's just that I like some others much better. But then, it's solely a matter of personal taste. No point discussing that, isn't that so?


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## Cyclops

I'm still quite new to the man and I only have 3 of his synpmphonies,10(now playing),11 and recently 15. 11 is the first of his symphonies I heard(borrowed it from the library and went and bought the same transcription(Mariss Jansons). It gets my vote,but I need to find more.


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## Kurkikohtaus

Although not my personal favourite, I'm glad to see Number 11 getting some action, that's a fine work as well.


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## Rondo

I am just now beginning to explore more of Shostakovich's under-rated late symphonies, namely 12 and 15. Now if I can begin to enjoy 13 and 14.


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## Cyclops

Rondo said:


> I am just now beginning to explore more of Shostakovich's under-rated late symphonies, namely 12 and 15. Now if I can begin to enjoy 13 and 14.


I got 15 free with BBCMusic mag a while back, but havent had chance to give it much of a hearing yet, and Shost. needs time(altho I knew I loved 11 as soon as I heard it.)


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## dukas

Symphony No. 10 is Shostakovich's greatest Symphony. But, I also love #1,#4,#5,#6,#7,#8,#9,#11,#12,#13,#14and #15. I cannot listen to #2 and #3, because I find them irritating and uninspired.


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## Cyclops

I want to listen to them all now. I have an addictive personality and its annoying that I cant listen to these works!(Also Prokofiev, must find some of his works)


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## Moldyoldie

Wow, I'm somewhat shocked to see that the Eighth wasn't included in the poll as it's one of my absolute favorites...by anyone! It has to be one of the most powerful symphonic expressions of the entire twentieth century.


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## Yagan Kiely

9, because it is not over the top.

(Plus it is cute, and it quotes the Ring Cycle... dunno if it is on purpose)


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## Chi_townPhilly

Moldyoldie said:


> Wow, I'm somewhat shocked to see that the Eighth wasn't included in the poll...


Thanks for your thoughts, *M.o.* I didn't mean to shock you in your very first TalkClassical poll. But, Milord...

My challenge in creating that poll was "15 to choose 9." I thought that 5/7/10/11 were the obvious adds, and my instincts (so far) appear to have been correct. I thought 2/3/12 were the obvious omissions. I think that 12 is better considered than it was a generation ago, and have some sympathy with _Lisztfreak_ that there's enough baby in there to merit dealing with some of the spent bathwater. That aside, if I hear someone call it their favorite, it'll be the first time. That left 1/4/6/8/9/13/14/15... and I had to get rid of three. At the time I made the poll, there was some buzz around 15, as two of our more energetic posters had praised it highly. So it stayed, received no votes, and those posters are now a memory. I'm guilty of personal preference in adding 13, which I still consider to be absolutely riveting. Perhaps many agree, but cannot bring themselves to call it their favorite. (Love it though I do, it's not my favorite, either.) So, by a patina of latter-era association, I threw in 14 as well. It may have been a mistake. I didn't want to discard 1, which is on most people's short-lists of most creditable 1st symphonies ever. I was then left with 4/6/8/9, and could only keep one. I went with 9 (at least it was there for YK!)


Yagan Kiely said:


> 9, because it is not over the top.
> 
> Plus it is cute, and it quotes the Ring cycle... (dunno if it is on purpose)


Of course, the more famous Wagner quotations in Shostakovich are in 15. Virtually all major symphonic composers of that time (with the possible exception of Stravinsky) knew their Wagner. Presence of quotations was _not_ an accident.


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## Marshall

I believe it was around the 9th symphony that he started to openly rebel against the communist regime in place. He became paranoid that after his death the government would remove his name from all of his music and use it as propaganda for their causes, and that didn't bode well since he had been rebelling against their control as long as his name had been known. It was in this time that the DSCH theme evolved, I think he hoped that at some point, if his name were to be stripped from his music, someone would eventually realize that this motive appeared in many of the propaganda music and would chalk it up to one man doing it, and in a way it would be recognized as Shostakovich's. Granted, nobody would know his name, but everyone would know his greatness and music. It was the same concept as Anonymous 4.

Anyway, the 9th symphony was supposed to be a mockery of what the soviets wanted as their propaganda music, and Shostakovich went over the top in making fun of the USSR's requested style of music. (sorry 9th symphony lovers...I know I'd be kinda mad to find out my favourite symphony was a joke).

Wow...that was a long explanation for that...sorry about that.

Anyway, the thing about the 5th symphony is the fact that it's so widely known, it's almost the same reason that everyone says that Beethoven 5 or Beethoven 9 are their favourite symphonies. Well, yeah, they're good pieces, but they aren't so much better than, say, 4 or 6 that they should have that big of a margin between them. They are written just as well, and I would go so far as to say that the 6th symphony made a bigger impact on the musical world than the 5th and at least as big of one as the 9th. It's just the fact that one world-famous conductor somewhere decided this was his signature piece and he wanted to perform it fairly frequently and record it a few times, and thusly it became very popular and standard in the orchestral world.

Anyway...I'm explaining things in too detailed a manner again. 

My favourite has to be the 7th. I think it contains all the power and greatness that is in the 5th symphony but it does it in a much more intricate way. I can't explain how. I just think it's almost a second attempt at what he wanted the fifth to be (I know that's going to stir up some debate). I think that the one thing that Shostakovich does in the 7th symphony that he doesn't do in the 5th, or any other symphony really, is show his mastery of orchestration. And I'm not talking (exclusively) about the invasion theme section. I mean, the opening of the entire symphony is repeated again right before the end and has an extremely different feel to it just because of the orchestration. In the beginning it is in octaves in the strings. In the end it is all in the brass, and it is broken up into smaller phrases to emphasize certain notes with the entrances of other instruments. The same thing happens with a chorale-like figure at the end of the first movement. I honestly believe that, not only does this symphony have all the anger, angst, sadness, and every other emotion encompassed in all the others, it is also executed in a much more intricate design. I almost view it as a Mozart-like piece, in the sense that if one note were displaced, or one chord were changed or inverted differently, or if one phrase were orchestrated differently, there would be diminishment.


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## SamGuss

Since I have only heard his 5th so far, I had to go with that. I do enjoy it though and in the somewhat near future intend on owning it. As a matter of fact I am seriously considering:










Bernstein and New York Philharmonic - Shostakovich Symphonies No. 5 & 9.


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## bor

I voted for the 13th. Very powerful music (and the more when you see the lyrics and know what it is written for), certainly the first part. But my second vote would go to the 8th. I really think you guys underestimate this symfonie. It's long but a very emotional and dramatic piece of music. Lastly I would vote for the 5th for the enormous bombastic in the 4th movement and the emotionally charged 3th movement.


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## Rondo

Ive actually been meaning to get though the 13th, but haven't yet. If one thing's true, it's that it takes a while to really "dig" into the late Shostakovich symphonies (which is probably why many seem to prefer the earlier ones, ie 5-10)


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## Badinerie

I can understand people not wanting to vote for the 5th as it is his most well known. But is does seem to reach out to more people and there is nothing wrong with that. So despite what I think of the 7th or 11th, I voted for the 5th.


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## Lance

I like the 15th symphony its a pretty interesting piece, love the little quote of the William Tell Overture on the 1st movement. Shostie's music is alway a joy to listen to!


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## Rachovsky

Symphony No. 10 here. Although I love the 7th, 5th, and 8th, the 10th is intricate. Every second of the movements are interesting .


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## kiwipolish

*Shostakovich 3rd symphony*

I love the third. With its final chorus, it is a bit like an ode to the joy of communism. Like all Shostakovch works, it is ambivalent, and the joy may also be interpreted as slavery: "You villlll be happy!". The finale originally included a part for machinegun, but I've never heard a version with that.


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## SamGuss

I still like the 5th but if I could change my vote it would be from the 5th to his 7th "Leningrad". Awesome sauce.

Sam


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## Marshall

I still think the reason half these people are voting for 5 is because it's the only one they've heard. IMO, 1, 7, 11, and 15 are all better than 5.


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## Yagan Kiely

> I still think the reason half these people are voting for 5 is because it's the only one they've heard. IMO, 1, 7, 11, and 15 are all better than 5.


And 9! But I agree.


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## Badinerie

...no 12.....I forgot...its pretty dang good!


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## Kezza

Well 8th is most definitely my favourite. I even made it my ring tone on my mobile lol
I really love the 3rd movement. I can't explain. Pure Awesomeness 
I also really love 15th mostly because it has great percussion throughout the entire symphony. And anything sounds good with percussion 
But I haven't heard all his yet. Only 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10 , 13, 15.


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## Rondo

Kezza said:


> I also really love 15th mostly because it has great percussion throughout the entire symphony.
> But I haven't heard all his yet. Only 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10 , 13, 15.


That is a very neat piece!



Kezza said:


> And anything sounds good with percussion


You should hear Carl Nielsen's 4th and 5th and some of Bartok's orchestral works.


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## Kezza

I'll look them up 
Thanks Rondo


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## Delicious Manager

I think the most balanced and musically accomplished has to be No 10.

No 5 has so many votes as it's the only one many people have ever heard (sadly) but it's a great considering the circumstances under which it was written (immediately after a savaging from the Communist Party hacks and having to withdraw the 4th Symphony from rehearsal).

No 4 is a great piece in its own right, although perhaps a little spawling and undisciplined. It's powerful emotional effect is overwheleming, however.

No 6 is wonderful in its strange lop-sided way.

I would cite No 8 as being among the very best. It hasn't done so well in the concert hall because it's rather hard to listen to - being a threnody for the horrors of the Second World War, which was raging as Shostakovich wrote it (at around the time of the Siege of Stalingrad)

No 13 is a great hybrid of symphony and cantata and awesome in the courage of both the composer and the poet (Yevgeni Yevtushenko) whose critical words were set.

I also have admiration for the 14th - a cycle of 11 songs on the theme of Death for two solists and a tiny chamber orchestra of just strings and percussion (but no timpani).

No 1 is great for an 18-year-old but it's hardly 'esch'-Shosyakovich in my opinion


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## Ivan Sergeyevich

In this order: 4, 11, 10, 5, 13, 1, 15, 7. These are my favorites. The first movement of the 4th is kind of a mishmash, I have to admit, but few pieces have ever left such an impression on me.


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## Zombo

5, but surprised the 8th is not even listed in the poll...


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## Atabey

Well,i have two favourites but neither is on the poll list:4 and 8.

I love the 4th because it is the only symphony in which we can see the inside world of Shostakovich in its very complex,Mahlerian idiom.Incredible dramatic surprises,big climaxes and a lot of grotesque sarcasm which,i believe,is a signature for this obsessive genius.The finale is heart-breaking and depressing.Wonderfully thought and carefully considered throughout.

The 8th is another masterpiece.In my music listening experience no other piece managed to deliver the message it intended this deliberately.The horrors of the war not only the WW2 but also war in general is at your ears.When i first listened to this live i remember broking into tears in the first movement thema which Mariss Jansons calls in the recording of his rehearsal sequence of this symphony "first impressions on seeing everything destroyed",the one which comes around 5 minutes into the first movement,which is played by a string.This symphony is incredibly depressing throughout but at the finale there is little hope a little light at the end of the very,very long tunnel which gives us power to survive.It is a memorial to DSCH's outstanding genius.

After these two my favourites are:13,7,11,10,6,14,15,,9,12.I love these symphonies too.However not so fond of the 5th but this may be because of the stupid usage of the piece in popular culture(films,commercials etc.) in my home country.


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## LvB

Oh, this was impossible!  I finally settled on #15, because I've always loved the mystery of the conclusion, as well as the incredibly powerful slow movement. But really the only Shostakovich symphonies that I'm not especially fond of are 3 and 12. Incredible music!


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## ErFurtwanglert

I pick 5, but I've only heard 5, 10 and 11 and 5 is the only one which I actually own. That said, it's one hell of a symphony!


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## ecg_fa

I opted for no. #15, #5 is close second-- most days anyway.  

Ed


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## agoukass

For me, the 8th is my favorite symphony. It's so different than the 7th because it depicts World War II in a very personal way.


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## phoenixshade

I voted for the fifth, but it was a tough decision.

There is an expression "familiarity breeds contempt" (to which Mark Twain added, "- and children," but that's beside the point), and while I wouldn't say that I have _contempt_ for the fifth, I am so familiar with it that I find little new understanding with subsequent listenings, which diminishes my enjoyment. In that sense, I have outgrown it, and currently the ones I get the most enjoyment out of are the 1st, 6th, and 12th, simply because I still find details that escaped my notice on each listening. (I enjoy the 14th as well, but I have a hard time considering it a "symphony," despite what it says on the label.)

My solution was to look at the question from another angle: If I could only leave a single Shostakovich symphony to posterity, which would it be? Looked at that way, it had to be the fifth. To me, it expresses the ability of the human spirit to remain hopeful under the most oppressive circumstances of forced conformity... a message that applies equally well to a world dominated by corporate interests or one dominated by a totalitarian regime. (Although the 10th came pretty close; it was nearly down to a coin toss.)

But if I could only leave a single _work_ to future generations, it would have to be his String Quartet No. 8...


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## LindenLea

I'd have to say that #11 just totally chills me to the bone whenever I hear it, it's a genuinely bleak and harrowing musical experience, especially in the recording by Haitink, which to be honest is one of only 2 or 3 recordings of the 11th that I have heard. There is just so much anguish and cold Russian landscape in that work, it's just a marvellous symphony.


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## FlyMe

Oh dear - it is like asking to chose a favorite child!

I went for number 10 - but yesterday it might have been a different one, and tomorrow I am sure it will be different again.


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## Kuhlau

It's not on the list so I can't vote, but if Symphony No. 8 had been there, that's the one I'd have gone for. And specifically, this recording:










FK


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## Saturnus

I would have voted for No.8


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## Chi_townPhilly

Kuhlau said:


> It's not on the list so I can't vote...


Uhhh- yes you can*. There is an "Other (please specify in post)" category in this poll.

For those who remain curious about my omissions, my 'alibi' is back here.

[Edit- perhaps you did, anyway. I did a quick review of this thread, and noticed six opting for #8, two selecting #4, and one choosing #3. This seems to account for all nine votes in the "other" category.]


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## Lang

None - I don't like Shostakovich.


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## Kuhlau

Actually, I hadn't voted (but have now). Sorry - I missed that entirely late last night. 

FK


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## Herzeleide

'Other' - the one I'm not listening to.


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## mueske

I haven't heard them all yet (despite being a big Shostakovich fan) but I enjoyed the fourth the most. Such power, such passion, only preceded by Beethoven, it is an astounding work of art.


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## meschman

*5 wins again*

it's no surprise the 5th is on top, but it's really quite crude compared to the 1st and the 15th - especially the 1st.


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## Habib

I have heard his 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 13th Symphonies. I reckon of these No.4 is the best. After all, he had to keep it in the drawer from around 1936 to 1960. He self censored himself, predicting that it would have a poor reception due to the Stalinist context (he had been attacked in Pravda on numerous occassions previously). Then he wrote the 5th which is populist and banal by comparison, subtitled 'A Soviet artist's reply to just criticism.'(!) After the 4th (which wasn't an option on the list) I think the 10th is the best. I don't really like the socialist realist 7th and don't care to know the heavily ideological 'the year 1917' (No. 12). Of his works generally, I like those pieces that were written for the drawer (eg. Symphony No. 4, Violin Concerto No. 1) and some of the music he wrote after Stalin's death.


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## ncherone

I was saddened to see that #4 was not on the list of options for the poll. That is kind of ridiculous.



alan sheffield said:


> . Just waiting for that last tinkle on the glockenspiel is amazing. OK, structurally it is not brilliant at least in the first movement, but for me that doesn't matter when the music itself is so good.


...it isn't a glockenspiel, it is a celeste.
...the structure of the first movement is an incredible display of Shostakovich's affinity for an extended and contorted sonata form.


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## maestro267

No. 11 for sheer drama and power.


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## Lukecash12

I like the orchestration in the 1st symphony quite a bit.


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## World Violist

I still haven't heard all of them yet, but now I'm torn between the outright epicness of the 7th and the heart-wrenching power of the 13th...


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## Conor71

I like most all of Shostakovich's symphonies but the 5th stands out as a favourite - also really like 1, 7, 8, 10 & 11.


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## nickgray

It's impossible to choose one, I can only say that my favourites are 4,5,6,7,8,10. 1-3 are too "raw" for my taste, the ninth isn't really a serious work, though it's good too, 11th is quite powerful, but too simplistic, 12 is... errr, well, it kinda sucks, 13-14 I don't count as symphonies (in the same sense as Mahler's "Von der Erde"), 15th is a special one. I like 'em all, except for 2,3,12.


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## tahnak

Lukecash12 said:


> I like the orchestration in the 1st symphony quite a bit.


I would say it is brilliantly innovative and remarkably astute for a nineteen year old. The second movement haunts me on many days with its pungent theme on the trombones.


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## Tapkaara

It's really hard to say which is my favorite. But I'm seeing the 10th performed tonight by the San Diego Symphony...should be a hoot! (And a loud hoot at that.)


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## audiophilia

4th is my favourite.

I think the 10th is the greatest symphony of the 20th Century

Also love 1, 5, 7, 8.

Reviewing the 5th with Cleveland on Tuesday. Looking forward to that.


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## JRFuerst

In order of my favorites:

No. 11
No. 10
No. 4
No. 15
No. 7
No. 13
No. 14
No. 12
No. 1
No. 8
No. 6
No. 9
No. 2
No. 3
No. 5

That's right. 5 is my least favorite. Purely for the simple reason that it's so overplayed, and the tempo of the last movement is not played right, more often than not.


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## TWhite

Have to go with the Shostakovitch I've heard, which is no. 1,5 and 11. #5 is the first one I ever heard when I was in college (our orchestra played it), and I've always liked it--I played cymbals, LOL! But I think it's a very well constructed work--quite terse and compact, with a lot of drama. And you must understand that in 1958, as an 18-year old, I thought it was about as 'contemporary' as you could get. Of course now, though I still like it, I tend to think of it as fairly conservative and almost Neo-Romantic for the time it was written, but it still gets a real 'rise' out of me. 

I like #1 for the wit. It's an early work, and I always enjoy early works, especially when the composer seems to be 'thumbing his nose' at the Establishment. And Shostakovitch always seemed to have a lot of wit in his orchestral music when he could get away with it.

#11 is incredibly expansive and at times overpowering, considering the event that it is describing. It's long, but never boring, IMO, and the huge climax of the second section is still like a punch to the face. It's probably the best 'movie' music that was never written for a film (though the music has been used as a soundtrack on a DVD that I own of the silent Eisenstein film BATTLESHIP POTEMPKIN). But I like it quite a bit.

Tom


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## Huge

JRFuerst said:


> In order of my favorites:
> 
> That's right. 5 is my least favorite. Purely for the simple reason that it's so overplayed, and the tempo of the last movement is not played right, more often than not.


So you're basing your opinion on the choices of others (concert programmers, and conductors) and not your own musical tastes? Very weird.

#8 is not on the list, but it's definitely in my top 5.

So My top 5 would be 5,7,11,10,8.


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## JRFuerst

Huge said:


> So you're basing your opinion on the choices of others (concert programmers, and conductors) and not your own musical tastes? Very weird.


Yes. I have performed it 4 times, and seen it live twice. I have only performed 6 and 11 one time and have seen 10 once.

Boredom sets in.


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## Il Seraglio

#11 is my favourite, definitely his most enjoyable. I also liked #5 and #15, but found #7 and #8 a real drag.


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## Aramis

5th. It's quite obvious choice, but 7th which seems to be second popular bores me most of it's time (first movements especially). After 5th I would place 8th. 1st is interesting and enjoyable too. But I'm not fan of Shostakovich because of his symphonies, I'm more fond of his chamber music and don't understand why most people find his symphonies so much more important that they overshadow his other works.


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## Dim7

I have always felt rather lukewarm about the fifth. It doesn't have as intense moments as 7th and 11th which I like more. 7th is overlong though and a lot of the quiet moments are rather boring, unlike in 11th in which the first movement has a very cool, creepy atmopshere.


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## JAKE WYB

*11th* to me is everything i like about Shostakovich - dramatic yet serious and incredivbly visceral especially in its uncompromising subject matter

*8th *is second best to me - all the above but with a huge amount of bite making it especially intense

*15th* - very enjoyable to see live - not to be taken seriously nor lightly - ending briliant

*4th, 6th, 10th, 12th, 13th* are all smashing also but dont for me have the same effect as above

*5th *i think is dull and forced and *7th* though amazing to see live in a particularly energetic performance is long winded and tedious in its middle i find

others i can take them or leave them to be honest despite huge efforts especially 14th which i imagine i havent appreciated its true colours yet


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## robert

Today
10
11
5
8
6
7
4
1

Robert


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## robert

I cannot believe I forgot the 15th....I place it in fifth spot right after the eighth....

Robert


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## samurai

Even though I voted for the 10th in this poll, for me the 5th , 8th and 9th are not very far behind. I'm planning on getting--someday, anyway--a box set of his complete symphonies, preferably conducted by Petrenko or Rostropovich, if not Haitnik. I already have Rostropovich conducting the complete cycle of Prokofiev symphonies, and I am quite happy with it!


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## Jobe

The 4th is my favourite, and contains my favourite musical moment of all time. In the second movement, wherein the might of the orchestra is stripped of the grandeur it has spent a good 5 minutes accumulating, 2 piccolos, a flute a clarinet and a bass clarinet enter the fray, shortly acquainting another flute and 2 clarinets. This alluded section begins at bar 130 in the score (which I went huntin' for online). It's a very dissonant fugue building on the newly acquired theme of that particular movement. Utterly horrible. Utterly spectacular.

Oh, and the second movement of 7 contains another lovely moment. Not the greatest fan of the first movement of that one I'm afraid, although it was stuck in my head earlier on when I saw this post but couldn't sign in from school.

Otherwise, I don't like Shostakovich, much like Lang. I think much of the attraction to his music is a result of that silly DSCH motif, the fact he joined the communist party and was a significant composer of Russia, ofcourse one of the few significant who didn't actually leave it. Maybe I'm being harsh and I'll admit his life is interesting and all, but it doesn't raise his music to divinity... Or does it?

Prove me wrong, please! I want to love him like the rest of you.


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## johnfkavanagh

The 10th is my favourite. The 5th comes a long way down the list. I also like the power and ferocity of the 8th but it is perhaps a little too dark for me. The 1st is a phenomenal achievement for such a young composer. The 14th is also very interesting but a symphony in name only.


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## haydnfan

The 8th is my favorite, I voted for the 10th instead of other. Why didn't #4 and 8 go up there? Everyone knows they are more popular than #14, 15.


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## myaskovsky2002

Let me se....2 and 3 suck...15 sucks...14th and 13th are dark

Others are awesome.

Martin, a Shostakovich fan for a long time....not any more...

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

samurai said:


> Even though I voted for the 10th in this poll, for me the 5th , 8th and 9th are not very far behind. I'm planning on getting--someday, anyway--a box set of his complete symphonies, preferably conducted by Petrenko or Rostropovich, if not Haitnik. I already have Rostropovich conducting the complete cycle of Prokofiev symphonies, and I am quite happy with it!


Rostropovicho...bigo mistako! The best cellist...not a so good conductor. Try Mravinsky (the very best) or Kondrashin...Haitnik is a good second choice. I've just bought the Prokofiev's symphonies by Mravinsky...I'm still waiting for it. I had a not-so-bad version before...

Martin


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## Vaneyes

No. 4, and this recording.


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## chalkpie

4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## samurai

That is one of the Shostakovich symphonies I have yet to listen to. Ah, but that's why *Spotify* was created!


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## chalkpie

Is the 6th the most unappreciated and overlooked gem out of the 15 symphs? I think it is close to a masterpiece - or screw it - just call it one! I LOVE it.


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## chalkpie

samurai said:


> That is one of the Shostakovich symphonies I have yet to listen to. Ah, but that's why *Spotify* was created!


The 4th will BLOW your mind. It's truly unbelievable.


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## samurai

@ Chalkpie, I intend to listen to both the *4th* and the *6th* *ASAP*! Thanks for the 411.


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## chalkpie

samurai said:


> @ Chalkpie, I intend to listen to both the *4th* and the *6th* *ASAP*! Thanks for the 411.


Sounds great - please report back with some thoughts


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## chalkpie

samurai said:


> That is one of the Shostakovich symphonies I have yet to listen to. Ah, but that's why *Spotify* was created!


Not to take this too O/T, but do you do the free Spotify of the paid version? How is the classical music selection overall would you say? Thanks!


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## kunja

Most of them, but no.6 is my favorite piece


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## starthrower

I've owned just one recording of No.5 for over 25 years. Cleveland Orchestra/Maazel on Telarc.

Are their superior versions I should listen to? I need recordings of 10, 11, and 4 as well.


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## samurai

chalkpie said:


> Not to take this too O/T, but do you do the free Spotify of the paid version? How is the classical music selection overall would you say? Thanks!


Hi Chalkpie. I have the 5 dollar per month version, and it is awesome as regards the selection of works and artists available {I believe I read somewhere that there are over 85 million accessible works thru Spotify}. The sound quality too is far superior to YouTube, though there is no video component. I like the paid version better, because with the free option, one is limited to how many times he/she may listen to a particular piece of music, and there are adverts as well. If you want an invite, just pm me with your e-mail address and I'll be glad to send you one. I'll definitely get back to you on the *4th* and *6th* Shostakovich Symphonies; heard the *6th* last night {on Spotify} and enjoyed it, but my favorites so far are still the *8th* and *10th*. The *4th* looks so dauntingly long that I'll put that off until another night. 
Do you have any cycles of his Symphonies? I have the complete box set of his SQS done by the Emersons. Again, thanks to Spotify, I have been comparing their performance with that of other string quartets such as the Eder and Rubio. I will definitely have another "go" at the *6th* very soon as well.


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## TxllxT

Vaneyes said:


> No. 4, and this recording.


From the Rozdestvensky cycle I like both no.15 & no.4 so much that I can hardly decide which one to prefer. No.15 for its burlesque tune-stealing; no.4 for its innovativeness. After that: no.10 (Rozdestvensky & Karajan), no.1, no.5, no.9, no. 7 & 11 & 12 (film music), no.6, no.13, no.14, no.3 and no.2


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## chalkpie

Shostakovich 11, 2nd movement II. Allegro (The 9th of Jan)....

INCREDIBLE!


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## clavichorder

The 6th is actually the only one I've heard, and I love it more than any other 20th century symphony excepting Copland's 1st and Prokofiev's 5th. If there are better Shostakovich symphonies than the 6th, I'm in for a treat. I love the odd way it is structured though.


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## Neo Romanza

My favorite Shostakovich symphony is the 8th. Such a harrowing, tragic work but one that I think was close to Shostakovich's heart and the way he _really_ felt during that time in his life. No 'hidden codes' here.


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## KenOC

Darkhorse candidates... I like quite a few of the symphonies, but #9 and #15 are always special treats. An amazing variety of music in these symphonies.


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## deinoslogos

This poll is basically worthless since it doesn't have either the 4th or the 8th.


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## Chi_townPhilly

Chi_townPhilly said:


> As I'm limited to 10 fields, I'll have to resort to some supposition concerning the front-runners. Please bear with me anyway.





deinoslogos said:


> This poll is basically worthless since it doesn't have either the 4th or the 8th.


Or not. One has the option of using the "Other, please specify in post" option.

See here for the apologetics involved in the selection-process. 
One caution, however- this will involve more work than grousing about the composition of the poll.


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## deinoslogos

Chi_townPhilly said:


> Or not. One has the option of using the "Other, please specify in post" option.
> 
> See here for the apologetics involved in the selection-process.
> One caution, however- this will involve more work than grousing about the composition of the poll.


I get that you didn't have room for all of the symphonies, but leaving out 4 and 8 seems absurd. Since I can't figure out how many of the "other" votes go toward 8 and how many go toward 4, it makes the whole poll dimension pretty uninteresting.

Anyway my "vote" goes for 4.


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## MagneticGhost

I'm surprised you left 4 off your list as it's got a cult following 

5 is the best. 10 is second best.

I'm voting 15 though. I love the variety. I love the dark climax in the slow mvt.
I love the sparsity of the writing. I love the clockwork.


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## Bone

4 all day long.


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## dgee

Astonished by the love shown for 7 and 11! They seem clumsy, empty and bombastic to me - the worst of Shostakovich. 5 and 10 are great fun in the concert hall but I don't want to listen to them at home. 9 is consistently excellently crafted and so much fun but 13 (a symphony in name only) is the one that does it for me best


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## nightscape

#11, which I will be seeing live next month for the first time. Can't wait!


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## Andrei

I voted for No 5. I love this work, I have tried to understand the 7th, 10th, and 11th. No go (the ist movement of 11 and the short movement of the 10th are great). I am a bit envious of you guys as I keep trying with Shostakovich - Symphonies as above, concertos, and some of the quartets. Sometimes there is a 'way in' to a composers musical language. As I mentioned I really get the 5th; are there any suggestions as to a few others of his more accessible works?


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## Tristan

The 4th has always been my favorite. The 5th is definitely his most "accessible" symphony and it is great, but I also find it a bit overrated. The 4th is brilliant and I can't believe it's not on this list!


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## Reichstag aus LICHT

Andrei said:


> the short movement of the 10th [is] great


The final movement of the 10th is pretty special, too!


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## Andrei

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> The final movement of the 10th is pretty special, too!


I will give the 10th another go. I will see if I can find it on LP (without having to remortgage).


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## chalkpie

Andrei said:


> I will give the 10th another go. I will see if I can find it on LP (without having to remortgage).


S10 is one of the best, period! Get it and worship it.


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## Garlic

I haven't listened to 4, 10, 11, 12 or 14 yet. Everyone says 4 is great so that's my next one. I really like 1, 8 and 15 and not too keen on most of the others I've heard.


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## Guest

Finally caught up with the 11th - BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Thomas Søndergård at the Proms this summer - and was stunned, especially by the finale, which had me laughing. He's a wag, that Dmitri - a veritable barrel of laughs.

So, still working on getting to know the 10th and 5th; already like the 7th best. But I'm not going to vote when there's still so many others I've not heard!


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## lupinix

symphony 4 <3 after that 10 though


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## Marschallin Blair

Yes: terrifyingly awesome. Not exactly the sort of thing one listens to at Aix on the way to Switzerland.

Have you heard Myung-Whun Chung/Philadelphia incarnation?-- Stalin redivivus. Superb performance.


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## lupinix

Marschallin Blair said:


> Yes: terrifyingly awesome. Not exactly the sort of thing one listens to at Aix on the way to Switzerland.
> 
> Have you heard Myung-Whun Chung/Philadelphia incarnation?-- Stalin redivivus. Superb performance.
> 
> View attachment 33245


no not yet =o I usually listen to Gergiev but Im curious =o
its such a sincere shostakovich symphony in my opinion


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## revdrdave

chalkpie said:


> Is the 6th the most unappreciated and overlooked gem out of the 15 symphs? I think it is close to a masterpiece - or screw it - just call it one! I LOVE it.


Yes--my sentiments exactly. Everything that makes Shostakovich great, little of what can make him tedious. Especially performed by Mravinsky (a conductor I otherwise can't stand). I also particularly like 4, 8, and 10. The fifteenth I just don't get.


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## KenOC

revdrdave said:


> Yes--my sentiments exactly. Everything that makes Shostakovich great, little of what can make him tedious. Especially performed by Mravinsky (a conductor I otherwise can't stand). I also particularly like 4, 8, and 10. The fifteenth I just don't get.


The 15th? I mean, what's to get? Anyway, the 6th is one of my favorites. After that gloomy 1st movement, both the succeeding movements are absolute kicks in the pants! If that's not being too crude...


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## elgar's ghost

Difficult to whittle down to just one as I'm fond of most of them - if it was gun to the head time I'd probably choose 4th. Or the 8th. No - the 10th. BANG! :lol:


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## revdrdave

KenOC said:


> The 15th? I mean, what's to get? Anyway, the 6th is one of my favorites. After that gloomy 1st movement, both the succeeding movements are absolute kicks in the pants! If that's not being too crude...


Not too crude at all but spot-on, I think. By not getting the 15th what I meant was that of all the Shostakovich symphonies, it's the one that, to my ears, makes the least sense structurally and in terms of it's musical argument. Shostakovich was prone to play the clown (even in the sixth you and I both like so much) but in the 15th, especially in his quoting of other composers, it sounds patch-work, a pastiche. Others clearly are hearing something in the music I don't--witness the number of comments in this thread from people ranking the 15th among Shostakovich's best--because what I hear is a composer tired and running out of ideas.


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## Marschallin Blair

lupinix said:


> no not yet =o I usually listen to Gergiev but Im curious =o
> its such a sincere shostakovich symphony in my opinion


Yeah, check out the Chung. The Jarvi/SNO was my standard. . . that is, until I heard this one. Unrelentingly ferocious.


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## Marschallin Blair

Marschallin Blair said:


> Yeah, check out the Chung. The Jarvi/SNO was my standard. . . that is, until I heard this one. Unrelentingly ferocious.


Oh, forgot. . . the recording quality?-- absolutely STEL-LAR.


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## nightscape

I think that recording was sitting in the DG vaults for almost a decade before it was suddenly released out of nowhere. Primal recording of the 4th by Chung and the Philadelphians


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## randomnese

My favorite, for sure.

Easily accessible and a masterpiece combining symphonic writing with his talent for soundtrack. It's like watching a movie with your eyes closed.


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## fidonan

5,10,1,4,9,6,8,15 are all the wonderful and moving pieces that i'm in


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## Fugue Meister

For me it's the 4th. DSCH's 4th is also my entry for greatest symphony of the 20th century. 

If I had to rank his symphonies to my own personal taste... A- being greatest O- being least great but still it's good ole Shosta

A- 4th in c
B- 10th in e
C- 8th in c
D- 5th in d
E- 11th in g
F- 6th in b
G- 1st in f
H- 13th in bb
I- 7th in C
J- 15th in A
K- 14th
L- 9th in Eb
M- 12th in d
N- 2cd in B
O- 3rd in Eb


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

The first two are my favourite.


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## manyene

I found the analysis of those votes cast so far very interesting, with no one opting for the 14th-is it because it is very different from the classical symphony in structure, is the subject matter or what? Quite a few have commented on the absence of the 4th Symphony from the list, which is very close to being my favourite. And the 8th is another major work, far better than the 'Leningrad' structurally and in content.


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## elgar's ghost

manyene said:


> I found the analysis of those votes cast so far very interesting, with no one opting for the 14th-is it because it is very different from the classical symphony in structure, is the subject matter or what? Quite a few have commented on the absence of the 4th Symphony from the list, which is very close to being my favourite. And the 8th is another major work, far better than the 'Leningrad' structurally and in content.


I too like the 14th very much, but whether for good or ill I've never been able to take it on board as a symphonic work - it sits far easier with the late song cycles to these ears. In fact, I'd be very interested to hear a piano reduction of it.


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## pierrot

Now that this thread came up I'd like to change my vote to the Eighth.


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## ptr

I never voted as the Fourth was not present!

/ptr


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## Triplets

manyene said:


> I found the analysis of those votes cast so far very interesting, with no one opting for the 14th-is it because it is very different from the classical symphony in structure, is the subject matter or what? Quite a few have commented on the absence of the 4th Symphony from the list, which is very close to being my favourite. And the 8th is another major work, far better than the 'Leningrad' structurally and in content.


 I concur with Elgar's answer, and would add that I appreciate the 14th quite a bit, but that it wouldn't rate as the best of his Symphonies.


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## EdwardBast

Of the ones listed I like 10 marginally better than 15 and 13. But the others I like best are 4, 6, and 8.


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## phlrdfd

It's not clear cut for me, but I went with "other," because I give number 8 the edge over number 7. Numbers 4, 5, 10 and 13 are up there too.

I've had the best luck over the years with number 7 in concert; having seen outstanding performances under Temirkanov/PhilaO, Jurowski/PhilaO, Jansons/RCOA, and Welser-Most/ClevO.


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## elgar's ghost

Mine are 4, 8 & 10 but I have no individual favourite.


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## manyene

I've had the great good fortune of having the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra on my doorstep, and went to all the Petrenko concerts featuring the whole cycle prior to the release of the recordings. One effect of this is that I have revalued the 13th symphony, again because of the issues that it expresses, and the 11th Symphony has moved up a bit in my order. The only one I have never really taken to is the 3rd, which seems very formless, although I notice it has some advocates


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## Skilmarilion

I will no doubt keep trying with these, but as a set they are quite second rate in my opinion (i.e. not at all in the class of the symphonies by Beethoven, Bruckner, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Brahms and others).

I really, really like the 5th. The largo is just a wonder.

I enjoy the 15th a great deal too.

8, 10 and 11 have their moments.

For some reason I don't remember the 6th all that well -- needs a re-listen or two.

Not a fan of the rest.


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## Vaneyes

No. 4 omission could very well be *the* oversight in the history of TC.


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## manyene

But, playing devil's advocate this time, I wonder whether our perception of the 4th has been affected by the disapproval of Stalin and the nomenklatura for Shostakovich's works in the mid-1930s?


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## elgar's ghost

manyene said:


> But, playing devil's advocate this time, I wonder whether our perception of the 4th has been affected by the disapproval of Stalin and the nomenklatura for Shostakovich's works in the mid-1930s?


I usually put Stalin out of my mind when considering the 4th as it least it was at an advanced stage of composition just before the backlash. As far as his symphonies up to that point go, it was a huge leap forward from the 2nd and 3rd, which I think is probably the most important aspect I can attach to it when considering the work in its own right. The conjecture starts with what the follow-up may have been like, or even if he could have been motivated to write another symphony so soon - had Lady Macbeth not been blasted out of the water while it was riding so high he may have wanted to consolidate its success by concentrating on writing works for the stage. Pure conjecture, of course...


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## MoonlightSonata

My favourites are 5, 7, 10 and 15.
Of those, I voted for #15.


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## Vaneyes

manyene said:


> But, playing devil's advocate this time, I wonder whether* our perception* of the 4th has been affected by the disapproval of Stalin and the nomenklatura for Shostakovich's works in the mid-1930s?


I can only speak for me. Politics doesn't do the appreciating for any of his works.


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## Albert7

I like all of them. But where is the option for that?


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## Brahmsian Colors

In order of preference, 7, 5, 4.


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## Enthusiast

4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 14 are my favourites. I cast my vote for 14 but 10 and 13 run it close.


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## Pugg

Symphony #10 in E minor will do it for me.


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## KenOC

There are 15 Shostakovich symphonies. There are 15 (max) choices on a TC poll. Still, we are faced with this. Whaz up???


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## Art Rock

KenOC said:


> There are 15 Shostakovich symphonies. There are 15 (max) choices on a TC poll. Still, we are faced with this. Whaz up???


Post 1 gives the answer.


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## R3PL4Y

8, 10, and 15 are my favorites. I also really like 6 and 9.


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## Canaeus

I'm actually biggest fan of his 8th symphony, which - to me - shows the whole spectrum of Shostakovian expressions, going from desolate, sad and nocturnal to wild, unbridled "sovietism". It's cold and warm at the same time, loving and angry.


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## znapschatz

Although I think most of the others were more accomplished, and I loved them dearly, my vote was for #1 because it was so fresh and full of promise, the most spectacular symphonic debut of the century. I never tire of it, and it always gives me what I need.


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## Torkelburger

My favorites in order of preference are 10, 5, 8, 1, and 4.


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## hpowders

I'm too lazy to review whether I've posted here or not, but my favorite Shostakovich symphony for quite a while now is No. 4.


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## ahinton

In order (well, more or less) of preference - 4, 10, 13, 8, 6, 15, 1, 9, 11, 5, 14, 7, 2, 3, 12.

That said, I still struggle to see 14 as a symphony _per se_ and, even in those towards the bottom of my list, there are rare moments of wonder (though they're hard to find in the only semi-perfunctory one, 12)...


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## Barbebleu

Might already have posted, so sue me. Number seven today. Might be thirteen tomorrow!


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## Judith

Love the Leningrad. I love the story behind it when it was performed in Russia during the war and nothing was going to stop them!

Have it performed by RLPO conducted by Vasily Petrenko


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## Orfeo

Symphony no. VIII for me, with the Fourth a close follow-up.


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## starthrower

I just went through most of Barshai's cycle, save 12 & 14, but I don't have one favorite. 5 & 13 are tops on my list, but I also enjoy 1,2,6,8,9,10,11,15


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## Mifek

8, followed by 5 and 4, then 13, 7, 6, 11, 10, 12 and 9.


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## Brp

I think the fifth. Love it


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## MrMeatScience

I recently saw the Eighth live and loved it, after having been fairly ambivalent about it before. I think it's my new favorite.


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## Mark Emanuele

In descending order: 5, 10, 7, 1


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## Enthusiast

It's funny how 14 is so unpopular. It is very different to the others, true. But I find it very difficult to come up with one that I prefer to it.


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## Art Rock

Personal preference

First tier: 4,5,7,10,13,14
Second tier: 1,6,8,9,11,15
Third tier: 2,3,12

Even the third tier works I still like by the way.


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## Zama

Brp said:


> I think the fifth. Love it


Me too, the fifth.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT

Enthusiast said:


> It's funny how 14 is so unpopular. It is very different to the others, true. But I find it very difficult to come up with one that I prefer to it.


I love the 14th, but perhaps it's seen as more of a song-cycle than a symphony; even more so than Das Lied von der Erde. I voted for the 10th as my overall favourite, but I rate all his symphonies highly, apart from the 2nd and 3rd. Even those two aren't without interest - indeed there's nothing I've heard of Shostakovich that can be thus described. He was a remarkably consistent composer.


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## Heck148

Enthusiast said:


> It's funny how 14 is so unpopular. It is very different to the others, true. But I find it very difficult to come up with one that I prefer to it.


#14 is very effective....but it is so dark, so gloomy that I have to take it in small doses...I don't listen to it in its entirety at one time.


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## elgar's ghost

Heck148 said:


> #14 is very effective....but it is _ so dark, so gloomy_ that I have to take it in small doses...I don't listen to it in its entirety at one time.


The _Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti_ song cycle is probably even more so.


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## elgar's ghost

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> _I love the 14th, but perhaps it's seen as more of a song-cycle than a symphony_


My thoughts too - I wish there was a piano/voice version of it.


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## Lilijana

None of my favourites, 2, 4, 6, are listed.


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## Johnnie Burgess

composer jess said:


> None of my favourites, 2, 4, 6, are listed.


In the poll section there is a Favorite Shostovich that has all the symphonies listed.


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## KenOC

Johnnie Burgess said:


> In the poll section there is a Favorite Shostovich that has all the symphonies listed.


Yes, it's right *here*. Enjoy!


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## marvin

The 8th, closely followed by 4th.


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