# Favorite Symphonies



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Mozart - #40
Beethoven - #6
All of Mahler's - #1-#9


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## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

That's pretty broad, and very tough. Off the top of my head, in no particular order:

Tchaikovsky 3
Tchaikovsky Manfred
Dvorak 3
Sibelius 4
Sibelius 6
Prokofiev 4
Beethoven 7
Haydn 34
Mozart 40
Nielsen 4
Saint-Saens 3
Suk Asrael


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

There are plenty of threads for this already, but I will put my 15 current favorite symphonies:

Symphony No. 3- Norgard
Symphony No. 10- Mahler
Symphony No. 99- Haydn
Symphony No. 98- Haydn
Symphony No. 1- Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 2- Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 5- Vaughan Williams
Symphony in G Minor for Organ and Orchestra- Dupre
Unfinished Symphony- Schubert
Symphony No. 3- Schumann
Symphony No. 3- Schuman
Symphony of Psalms- Stravinsky
Symphony No. 3- Sibelius
Eroica Symphony- Beethoven
Symphony No. 1- Walton


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## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

I almost put Schubert 8 & Sibelius 3, and debated Beethoven 6. Sibelius 3 was my favorite of his for a very long time, but 4 & 6 eventually overshadowed it. Still love it, though.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

T Son of Ander said:


> I almost put Schubert 8 & Sibelius 3, and debated Beethoven 6. Sibelius 3 was my favorite of his for a very long time, but 4 & 6 eventually overshadowed it. Still love it, though.


Yes Sibelius 3 is a wonderful symphony.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

T Son of Ander said:


> I almost put Schubert 8 & Sibelius 3, and debated Beethoven 6. Sibelius 3 was my favorite of his for a very long time, but 4 & 6 eventually overshadowed it. Still love it, though.


I'm still getting to know Sibelius, but I have really liked what I've heard so far!


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm still getting to know Sibelius, but I have really liked what I've heard so far!


What pieces have you gotten to know by him so far?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Tchaikov6 said:


> What pieces have you gotten to know by him so far?


Symphony #2 and his SQ.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Symphony #2 and his SQ.


Listen to all his symphonies! Not a dud among them. Then listen to En Saga and Tapiola, two tone poems that book end his career.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

violadude said:


> Listen to all his symphonies! Not a dud among them. Then listen to En Saga and Tapiola, two tone poems that book end his career.


I plan on it! He's very interesting.


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## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Symphony #2 and his SQ.


If you like Sibelius' 2nd, try the others. His whole symphony output is simply amazing.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Captainnumber36 said:


> All of Mahler's - #1-#9


You mean _almost_ all of Mahler's 10


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Becca said:


> You mean _almost_ all of Mahler's 10


He didn't complete 10, so it's not all his.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

All of Brahms Symphonies
All of Ives Symphonies
Prokofiev 2 and 6
Mozart 38
Bruckner 9
Schubert 9

edit - If Mahler - _Das Lied von der Erde_ counts, then that too.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Let's see... (I see there are no limits for mentioning them) 

From the most known and famous composers:

Mozart: 39, 38, 41
Beethoven: 7, 3, 5, 9
Schubert: 8, 9
Brahms: 4
Tchaikovsky: 5, 4, 1, Manfred
Mahler: 6, 9
Bruckner: 4, 7, 8
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Harold en Italie
Mendelssohn: 3, 4
Schumann: 2, 3
Saint-Saëns: Organ Symphony
Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar (#2)
Elgar: 2
Shostakovich: 5, 11, 8, 10, 13, 4
Prokofiev: 5, 2, 6
Rachmaninov: 2
Nielsen: 5, 3, 4
Sibelius: 2, 5, 6
Vaughan Williams: 2, 4, 5
Dvorák: 8, 7, 9
Martinu: 3, 4, 5
Hindemith: Symphony in E flat, Mathis der Maler
Khachaturian: 2, 1
Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem
Borodin: 2
Walton: 1
Villa-Lobos: 3, 4, 10


From the less-known (just a little bit) composers:

Magnard: 3, 4
Stenhammar: 2
Atterberg: 3, 5, 2, 6, 8
Langgaard: 4, 6, 10
Holmboe: 8, 3, 5, 6, 7
Bax: 1, 5
Casella: 2
Madetoja: 2
Braga Santos: 4, 3
Ivanovs: 4
Malipiero: Sinfonie del Silenzio e de la Morte
Schmidt: 4, 2
Zemlinsky: 2
Kalinnikov: 1
Respighi: Sinfonia Drammatica
Bantock: A Hebridean Symphony, A Celtic Symphony
Arnold: 5, 3, 6
Alwyn: 4
Hanson: 2
Copland: 3
Barber: 1
Penderecki: 1, 2
Szymanowski: 3, 4
Suk: Asrael
Kabalevsky: 4
Tubin: 5, 2, 3, 4
Peterson-Berger: 3, 2
Alfvén: 4
Goldmark: Rustic Wedding Symphony (#1)
Bortkiewicz: 2
Raff: 3
Stanford: 3
Bloch: Symphony in C sharp minor
Roussel: 2
Melartin: 3, 4
Miaskovsky: 17, 22, 27
Bliss: A Colour Symphony
Merikanto: 2
Moeran: Symphony in G minor
Korngold: Symphony in F sharp major
Ben-Haim: 2
Hovhaness: 2, 6
Weinberg: 10
Simpson: 2, 5, 9
Rautavaara: 8
Yoshimatsu: 2
Schnittke: 5


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

MusicSybarite said:


> Let's see... (I see there are no limits for mentioning them)
> 
> From the most known and famous composers:
> 
> ...


My youth orchestra is playing Martinu 3. It's a very interesting piece, always tense and rough yet there are many beautiful parts.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Captainnumber36 said:


> He didn't complete 10, so it's not all his.


It exists in complete 4 stave score


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## Janspe (Nov 10, 2012)

I started listing all of the symphonies I love the most, but it became way too long. So maybe I'll just select a few works from my favourite symphonists:

- Beethoven: his 6th is the closest to my heart, but the 9th is of course the most staggeringly forward-looking masterpiece.
- Schubert: the "great" C major, without a moment of hesitation. I do enjoy the unfinished B minor one, but nothing can really beat the last one...
- Brahms: the 1st, or possibly the 3rd.
- Bruckner: the 4th, the 9th and especially the magnificent 8th.
- Mahler: all 11 of them (I happily count both _Das Lied von der Erde_ and the unfinished 10th among his symphonies!)
- Sibelius: I _adore_ all of the symphonies of Sibelius, but the 4th is my favourite.
- Prokofiev: the 5th, but also the 2nd which is (in my opinion) awfully misunderstood and under-appreciated.
- Shostakovich: the 4th is definitely my favourite, but I love a lot of his symphonies, including nos 5, 9, 10, 14 and 15.
- Dutilleux: he only wrote two, but I think they are masterpieces!
- Rachmaninov: I admit, I _love_ the 2nd very much!

There are of course many many others!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I wanted this thread to be limitless, these threads are always nice for exploring new pieces.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

In real time:

Ives 3

Schuman 6

Schuman 9

Mennin 7

Schumann 2

Brahms 4

Beethoven 6

Prokofiev 1

Haydn 102

Haydn 82

Haydn 97


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## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

Music Sybarite... that is a magnificent list! It reminded me of several i didn't think of when I posted earlier. Some Langgaard, Bantock, and the Kalinnikov would make my list a little bit longer.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Favorites:

Beethoven 3, 5, 6, 7, 9
Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique"
Mendelssohn 3
Brahms 3, 4
Bruckner 7, 8, 9
Sibelius 4, 5, 6, 7
Rachmaninoff 2, 3, "Symphonic Dances"
Elgar 1
Vaughan Williams 1, 3, 5
Tubin 4

Almost made the cut:

Mozart 38, "Prague" (first movement only)
Schumann 2, 4
Brahms 1
Saint-Saens 3, "Organ"
Tchaikovsky 6
Dvorak 7, 8
Schmidt 4
Suk "Asrael"
Copland 3
Bridge "The Sea"


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Captainnumber36 said:


> He didn't complete 10, so it's not all his.


It's enough all his. We used to have a member on here who was better at explaining this than I am but Mahler left nearly complete drafts of all the movements of his 10th, it was mostly the orchestration he didn't finish.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

My 25 favorite symphonies:

1. Beethoven 9
2. Beethoven 5
3. Beethoven 3
4. Brahms 4
5. Beethoven 6
6. Beethoven 7
7. Tchaikovsky 6
8. Beethoven 4
9. Dvořák 9
10. Mozart 41
11. Beethoven 2
12. Haydn 45
13. Tchaikovsky 5
14. Dvořák 8
15. Beethoven 1
16. Brahms 3
17. Borodin 2
18. Haydn 103
19. Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique"
20. Brahms 2
21. Mozart 40
22. Beethoven 8
23. Schumann 3
24. Tchaikovsky 4
25. Dvořák 6


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Brahms 1,2,3,4
Dvorak 7,8
Schumann 1
Schubert 5,9
Haydn 31,45,82 thru 87 ("Paris" Symphonies),92,95 thru 99
Mendelssohn 3,4
Vaughan Williams 3,5
Mahler 4,9
Bruckner 7
Tchaikovsky 5,6
Beethoven 3,8
Sibelius 1,4,6
Prokofiev 5
Rachmaninoff 2


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Bettina said:


> My 25 favorite symphonies:
> 
> 1. Beethoven 9
> 2. Beethoven 5
> ...


Nice to see Beethoven 2 on there- I find it one of the most under-appreciated symphonies of all time. To be honest, I'd probably rank it about the Choral Symphony.

Okay... maybe not, but closer than one might expect.


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## Janspe (Nov 10, 2012)

violadude said:


> It's enough all his. *We used to have a member on here who was better at explaining this than I am* but Mahler left nearly complete drafts of all the movements of his 10th, it was mostly the orchestration he didn't finish.


And how do we miss that member, sigh... Anyway, amen for that. Also worth noting when people go on about how the tenth doesn't represent Mahler's final intentions is that he didn't have the chance to hear _Das Lied von der Erde_ or the 9th symphony live either - and didn't he revise all of his symphonies after conducting them himself? We don't know Mahler's "final intentions" for _Das Lied_ or the 9th either. Correct me if I'm wrong!


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## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

I don't like symphonies in general


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

violadude said:


> It's enough all his. We used to have a member on here who was better at explaining this than I am but Mahler left nearly complete drafts of all the movements of his 10th, it was mostly the orchestration he didn't finish.


As I noted earlier, he left _a complete_ 4 stave score for all 5 movements. Some of it was completely orchestrated, some partly and there were notes about his thoughts for most of the rest. If you listen to the various performing versions of the 10th, the most noteworthy point is just how similar they are to each other which is because Mahler had completed the skeleton of the symphony.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Mozart 38 through 41
Beethoven 3, 6
Mendelssohn 5
Schumann 1 through 4
Brahms 1 through 4
Dvořák 7
Tchaikovsky 4
Saint-Saens 3
D'Indy Symphony on a French Mountain Air
Rachmaninoff 1 through 3
Sibelius 1, 2, 5
Prokofiev 3, 4, 5, 7 
Shostakovich 5
Walton 1
Bliss A Colour Symphony
Martinů 1


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Mahler /Mozart / Haydn / Beethoven / Schumann/ Schubert/ Brahms, just for starters.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Mahler /Mozart / Haydn / Beethoven / Schumann/ Schubert/ Brahms, just for starters.


What pieces specifically by them?

Or all 182 of them...


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Alphabetical per composer, these would probably make my top25.

Beethoven - 6
Berlioz - Fantastique
Brahms - 1,2,3,4
Bruckner - 8,9*
Dvorak - 9
Gorecki - 3
Mahler - 2,4,6,9, DLVDE
Mendelssohn - 3
Moeran - 1
Saint-Saens - 3
Schubert - 8
Shostakovich - 7,10
Sibelius - 4,5
Suk - Asrael
Tchaikovsky - 6

* the 3-movement version


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Cesar Franck Symphony in D minor has got a lot going for it.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The Franck Symphony is definitely underrated, to be perfectly Franck.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Pugg said:


> Mahler *8 * /Mozart *41* / Haydn *101* / Beethoven *7 */ Schumann _4_/ Schubert *9*/ Brahms *4*, just for starters.





Tchaikov6 said:


> What pieces specifically by them?
> 
> Or all 182 of them...


Problem solved .............................


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## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

Here's my current Top Ten, in no particular order.

1. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
2. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6
3. Bax: Symphony No. 2
4. Walton: Symphony No. 1
5. Wm. Schuman: Symphony No. 3
6. Brahms: Symphony No. 4
7. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4
8. Martinu: Symphony No. 1
9. Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 4
10. Mahler: Symphony No. 6


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Bettina said:


> My 25 favorite symphonies:
> 
> 1. Beethoven 9
> 2. Beethoven 5
> ...


Are these in order?


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## wolkaaa (Feb 12, 2017)

Mozart 25, 40, 41
Beethoven 4, 5, 7, 9
Brahms 2, 4
Schubert 8
Mahler 1, 2, 5, 9
Tchaikovsky 5, 6
Dvorak 9
Rachmaninov 2
Prokofiev 1, 7
Shostakovich 4, 5, 7, 10
Kalinnikov 1 (most underrated symphony?)
Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms
Bizet Symphony in C
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
Ives 4


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Bettina said:


> My 25 favorite symphonies:
> 
> 1. Beethoven 9
> 2. Beethoven 5
> ...


Nothing newer than 1893? No Mahler, Sibelius, Nielsen, Vaughan Williams, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff etc., etc.?


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

Although there are others that I also like from most of these composers (and from other composers too of course), these are my very favorite ones (51):

Mahler: 1-10, DLVDE
Beethoven: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9
Brahms: 1 - 4
Mozart: 38 - 41
R. Strauss: Alpine Symphony (a tone poem I know)
Shostakovich: 5, 7, 8, 10
Dvorak: 7, 8, 9
Tchaikovsky: 5, 6
Sibelius: 2, 4, 5, 7
Mendelssohn: 3, 4, 5
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
Prokofiev: 1, 5
Saint-Saens: 3
Schubert: 8, 9
Bruckner: 8
Rachmaninov: 2
Schumann: 2, 4


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Are these in order?


Yes, they're in order. I feel bad about putting a few of Ludwig's symphonies so far down on the list, but I gave him the top spots for most of his symphonies!


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Becca said:


> Nothing newer than 1893? No Mahler, Sibelius, Nielsen, Vaughan Williams, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff etc., etc.?


That is correct. I have nothing against those composers, but they're not my top favorites. The 18th and 19th centuries speak to me more powerfully than any other time periods. I'm one of those hopelessly old-fashioned people who loves common practice tonality!


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## distantprommer (Sep 26, 2011)

My top 10, somewhat in order

1. Beethoven 3 (close, 8)
2. Mahler 3 (close, 6)
3. Shostakovich 4
4. Sibelius 2 (close, 5)
5. Shostakovich 11 (close, 5)
6. Mozart 41 (close, 40)
7. Mendelssohn 4 (close, 3 & 5)
8. Elgar 1
9. Berlioz Fantastique
10. Brahms 2

Actually this adds up to 17 ?


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

Berio - Sinfonia (LOVE!!! Just found this)
Bruckner - Nos. 7-9
Beethoven - 3, 7-9
Ives - 3 & 4
Hindemith - Mathis der Maler
Stockhausen - Gruppen (if this counts)


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Sibelius 4 and 6
Beethoven 7
Shostakovich 5
Borodin 2
Rachmaninov 3
Vaughan Williams 3, 5 and 8


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Ones I'm really into at the moment:

Bruckner 3, 4, 7, 8
Beethoven 7
Brahms 4


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> That is correct. I have nothing against those composers, but they're not my top favorites. The 18th and 19th centuries speak to me more powerfully than any other time periods. I'm one of those hopelessly old-fashioned people who loves common practice tonality!


You are musically conservative. Nothing wrong with that.


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## Anankasmo (Jun 23, 2017)

1. Saint-Saëns 3rd Organ
2. Saint-Saëns 3rd Organ
3. Saint-Saëns 3rd Organ
4. Beethoven 9th
5. Beethoven 5th
6. Franck
7. Schubert 8th
8. Gorecki 3rd Symphony of sorrowful songs 
9. Beethoven 6th
10. Whatever


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Bruckner 4, 6, 7 and 8.


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## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

wolkaaa said:


> Kalinnikov 1 (most underrated symphony?)


Quite possibly! That is an awesome symphony!!


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Mostly Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Pure and simple. C P E Bach is quite something too!


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## Sandor36 (Aug 25, 2017)

Schubert's Unfinished symphony, Haydn's Miracle Symphony, Beethoven's Pastoral, Cesar Franck symphony in re minor.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

ArtMusic said:


> Mostly Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Pure and simple. C P E Bach is quite something too!


Which works in particular?


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Just a few. :tiphat:

Bax: 1
Beethoven: 5 - 7
Brahms: 3, 4
Bruckner: 5 - 9
Dvorák: 9
Elgar: 3 
Glass: 3, 8, 9
Gorecki: 3
Haydn: 45, 46, 80, 103
Honegger: 3
Korngold: Symphony 
Mahler: 1 - 10
Martinů: 3, 4, 6
Mendelssohn: 3, 4, 5
Mozart: 25, 40
Nielsen: 5
Pärt: 3, 4
Poulenc: Sinfonietta
Prokofiev: 7
Rachmaninov: 2
Raff: 3
Rautavaara: 1, 3, 7, 8
Roussel: 3
Saint-Saëns: 3
Schnittke: 5
Schubert: 9, 10 (D 936a)
Shostakovich: 4, 5, 6, 10, 13, 15
Sibelius: 2, 3, 7
Strauss: Alpine
Stravinsky: Psalms
Tchaikovsky: 1, 4, Manfred, 5, 6
Vaughan Williams: 2, 5, 6, 8, 9


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Mendelssohn 5
Bruckner 3 & 5
Brahms 4
Thompson Symphony on Hymn Tunes
Sibelius 3
Khachaturian 3
Simpson 3
Mahler 7
Shostakovich 8
Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements
Piston 2
Haydn 13, 70, 72 & 86


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Just been listening to Franck's Symphony in D Minor. Absolute powerhouse of a symphony.


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## Botschaft (Aug 4, 2017)

1. all by Brahms
2. all by Beethoven
3. all the rest I've heard


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## Funny (Nov 30, 2013)

A good selection of Haydn - but your name is Haydn67 - and no Haydn 67? I mean, come on - that last movement!

EDIT: OK, that didn't work as anticipated. Should have quoted the post. This was in reply to Haydn67's (obviously) post, #25.


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## Funny (Nov 30, 2013)

Like Anankasmo, I would probably give the top spot - though perhaps not 3 spots - to Saint-Saens' 3rd Symphony. It's usually in a toss-up along with Mahler #1, right now on top.

But I'll also note that of Skilmarilion's four Haydn selections, two of them are in my Haydn Top 5 (thus proving Skilmarilion's exquisite taste) - which I know because I just sat down a couple days ago and listed my Top 50 for Haydn. I won't list the whole 50 here but the top five in order are #80, #46, #49, #58 and #62. To all of you who listed Haydn symphonies from Paris onwards, no quibbles but please give these five another spin - or a first spin - and see what you think!


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Funny said:


> A good selection of Haydn - but your name is Haydn67 - and no Haydn 67? I mean, come on - that last movement!
> 
> EDIT: OK, that didn't work as anticipated. Should have quoted the post. This was in reply to Haydn67's (obviously) post, #25.


Haydn's Symphony #67 is not one of my favorites. Besides, for me, the significance of number 67 is totally unrelated to anything having to do with music. :tiphat:


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Tallisman said:


> Just been listening to Franck's Symphony in D Minor. Absolute powerhouse of a symphony.


Just ordered it as posted on another thread. Realised I hadn't got it so mine will be performed by Riccardo Muti and Philadelphia Orchestra.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Haydn67 said:


> Haydn's Symphony #67 is not one of my favorites. Besides, for me, the significance of number 67 is totally unrelated to anything having to do with music. :tiphat:


Oh I always thought you had a particular fondness for the Op. 67 Piano Trios or maybe the 67th string quartet.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I'm not a Tchaikovsky fanatic, but I have to say among my very favorite symphonies that I must single out, is Tchaikovsky 4.

Dramatic, poetic, rollicking. Incredibly fine!!


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I favor symphonies from Beethoven, Haydn, Berlioz, Mozart, Bruckner, Mahler, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Weinberg.

No Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Schubert or Mendelssohn.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Brahms all 4, Schumann all 4, Schubert 9th "The Great", Mahler 1, Bruckner 8, Mozart 36 Linz. Beethoven 6 Pastoral.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Beethoven: all of them but especially 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9.
Brahms: 1, 3 and 4
Sibelius: 1. 2. 3. 5. 6 and 7
Mahler: 1, 2, 3 and 5
Berlioz: Fantastique
Mozart: 31, 35, 38-41
Haydn: half a dozen, mostly from his London cycle
Schubert: 3, 8 and 9
Mendelssohn: 3 and 4
Schumann: a collection of half a dozen movements from his 4 symphonies
Tchaikovsky: 4, 5 and 6
Shostakovich: 5, 8, 10 and 11
Saint-Saens: 3
Bruckner: 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9
Dvorak: 7 and 9
Rachmaninov: 2

and probably forgetting a few


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Prokofiev 3, 5, 6
Sibelius 2, 5
Barber 1
Brahms 1-4
Arnold 5
Nielsen 4
Beethoven 6, 7, 9
Schuman 3
Harris 3
Shostakovich 7, 12


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## poconoron (Oct 26, 2011)

Beethoven 4,5,6,7
Mozart 29,38,39,40,41
Brahms 3
Schubert 9
Haydn late symphonies from 91 on
Dvorak New World


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## joachim (Sep 2, 2017)

Beethoven : 9, 6, 3, 5, 7
Haydn : impossible to make a real choice: all Londoners, Parisians, and in addition, 6, 22, 45, 67, 73, 88...
M. Haydn : 18, 19, 25, 28, 29
Mozart : 28, 29, 31, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41
Raff : 1, 2, 3, 5, 10
Ries : 1, 5
Schubert : 6, 8, 9
Tchaikovski : 6, 5, 4
Shostakovich : 7

and much, much others... the symphonies are the musical aspect that I prefer


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

My favourite symphonies is no particular order:

Beethoven All nine.
Brahms 1,4.
Dvorak 7,8,9.
Franck.
Sibelius 1,2,5,7.
Nielsen 1,2,3,4.
Haydn 45, and London Symphonies.
Mozart 1,25,31,38,39,40,41.
Tchaikovsky All six.
Schumann All four.
Schubert 1,4,8,9.
Clementi 4.
Bruckner All eleven.
Mahler 1,2.
Elgar 1.
Ries 1,5,7.
Czerny 1.6.
Mehul 1. 
Saint Saens 3
Berlioz Fantastique, Harold in Italy.


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## rw181383 (Aug 4, 2017)

Here are a few:

Alfvén: 4
Alwyn: 4, 1
Arnold: 5, 9
Atterberg: 3, 6
Bantock: Hebridean Symphony 
Bax: 2, 5
Beethoven: 3, 9, 2, 7, 5, 4, 8, 6, 1
Berwald: 3
Bloch: Symphony in C-sharp minor
Braga Santos: 4, 2, 3
Brahms: 3, 2, 4, 1
Bruckner: 8, 5, 9, 6, 4, 7, 2, 1, 3
Casella: 2, 1
Chavez: 2
Copland: 3
Dvorak: 8, 7
Elgar: 2
Englund: 5
Gade: 1
Gal: 1
Hamerik: 5, 6
Harris: 3, 5
Hartmann: 4
Hausegger: Natursymphonie
Haydn: 88, 104
Holmboe: 8, 5, 7
Kalinnikov: 1
Kokkonen: 3, 4
Korngold: Symphony in F-sharp major
Kraus: Symphonie Funebre 
Langgaard: 1, 6, 10
Magnard: 3
Mahler: 2 ,3, 9, 6, DLVDE, 5, 4, 1, 7, 8
Madetoja: 2
Martinu: 3
Mendelssohn: 5
Mennin: 6
Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony
Miaskovsky: 25
Mozart: 41, 39, 40, 38, 36, 33
Nielsen: 5, 6, 4
Norgard: 3
Penderecki: 2, 5
Pettersson: 9, 7, 6, 10, 13, 8
Prokofiev: 5, 6
Raff: 8
Rangström: 1
Rautavaara: 3
Rochberg: 1, 5
Röntgen: 5
Schmidt: 4
Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No. 1
Schreker: Chamber Symphony 
Schubert: 9
Schuman: 3
Schumann: 4, 2, 1, 3
Scriabin: 1
Shostakovich: 7, 14, 8, 10, 6, 5
Sibelius: 2, 7, 5, 3, 1, 4, 6
Stenhammar: 1
Suk: Asrael
Tchaikovsky: 6, 4, 5, 1
Tubin: 5, 2
Vaughan Williams: 1, 4, 6, 2, 5
Villa-Lobos: 10
Walton: 1
Weinberg: 10, Chamber Symphony No. 2
Wetz: 2
Zemlinsky: 2


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

rw181383 said:


> Here's a few:
> 
> Alfvén: 4
> Alwyn: 4, 1
> ...


I can see we have similar tastes. I'm very fond of many of them. I haven't listened to those ones by Rochberg, Röntgen and Norgard yet.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I've barely scratched the surface when I see some of these lists. I can't take a list of my favorites very seriously when I still have so much to listen to. Almost every other symphony I've heard is, in fact, a favorite. And all of them were mentioned, even the Nature Symphony by Von Hausegger damn it!  I do like to explore "core repertoire" and more obscure pieces at the same time.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Beethoven 9th
Brahms 3rd
Bruckner 8th
Mahler 5th & 9th


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

In real time:

Schuman Symphony No. 6

Ives Symphony No. 3


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Mahler 8 /Mozart 41 / Haydn 101 / Beethoven 7 / Schumann 4/ Schubert 9/ Brahms 4 adding Mahler 2 and 3 .


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

IMO:

Best 1st movements go to Walton 1 (top prize), Diamond 4 (I think that's the one), Thompson 2, Mennin 5, Mozart 35, Beethoven 3, Brahms 4, Sibelius 5.

Best final movements go to Scriabin 3, Mennin 5, Brahms 4.

Best overall goes to Chavez 2 (perhaps it benefits from being compact).

I REALLY have to listen to more of Haydn's, because I remember loving some of them when I did but it was too long ago for me to remember much. I have trouble remembering a lot of Sibelius' even though I know they were great, and there's a ton of symphonies that I've never listened to.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

The symphony has not been a preferred genre for me; I haven't fallen in love with many. The cycles I continuously return to are:

Mahler
Sibelius
Bax
Nørgård


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## R3PL4Y (Jan 21, 2016)

Brahms 4
Bruckner 9
Chavez 2
Das Lied von der Erde
Nielsen 5
Shostakovich 8 and 13
Sibelius 7
Tchaikovsky 6
Vaughan Williams 1-9


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