# Favorite Beethoven Symphony (Excluding No. 5 and No. 9)



## Pianoxtreme

Excluding Beethoven's fifth and ninth symphonies, which are undoubtedly his most popular, which one appeals to you the most and which one do you enjoy?

For me, it's no. 6. I just love how Beethoven interweaves the themes and the parts, and it's definitely one of his most skillfully orchestrated works.


----------



## Mahlerian

The 4th. It's brilliant, lively, and wonderfully inventive.


----------



## opus55

In addition to the sixth, I love the first symphony performed by Szell and Karajan. It has the classical charm.


----------



## Pianoxtreme

opus55 said:


> In addition to the sixth, I love the first symphony performed by Szell and Karajan. It has the classical charm.


Hmm, interesting you would say that. I never really cared for the 1st so much as the others. It's still stuck in the old, classical formality and style, and it's not as developed and mature as his later works. But a peanut donut is still a donut.


----------



## ahammel

The 8th is my favourite, including 5 and 9.


----------



## chrisco97

No. 6 is my favourite. I love the themes, the picture Beethoven paints, etc...it is so beautiful.


----------



## violadude

Pianoxtreme said:


> But a peanut donut is still a donut.


O.O I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, lol.


----------



## Ondine

Pianoxtreme said:


> [...]which one appeals to you the most and which one do you enjoy?


The most?

Honestly, his first two Symphonies.

If we follow the progress of Classic Symphony in hands of Haydn there is a gradual and soft development in terms of richness and depth and it is told that the first two Beethoven's symphonies are 'Haydn like'. I do not agree.

That pair of symphonies are a full and complete turn from Haydn's. A complete new language. A paradigm shift. It is very exiting to listen to that. There, we can listen crystal clear the very essence of what made beethoven, Beethoven.

The rest of his symphonic works depends on my mood.


----------



## MagneticGhost

8 possibly shades it with 7 running it very close.


----------



## moody

violadude said:


> O.O I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, lol.


He likes donuts and can't get them out of his mind,he says this in every post regardless.


----------



## moody

No. 7 Especially the horn cries--when brought out properly by the recording.


----------



## Art Rock

The 6th is my favourite of all his symphonies (w.r.t. the two you excluded, the 5th just behind the 6th, the 9th I find awful).


----------



## elgar's ghost

I'd opt for the 3rd and 7th along with the 5th and all ahead of the 9th. Some argue that the overall structure of the 3rd doesn't hang together well because of the length and mood of the slow movement but it's never bothered me, just as I don't mind the lengthy Grosse Fugue being part of the op. 130 string quartet. The allegretto movement of the 7th is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written and the work as a whole is beautifully proportioned, just like the 5th.


----------



## FLighT

elgars ghost said:


> I'd opt for the 3rd and 7th along with the 5th and all ahead of the 9th. Some argue that the overall structure of the 3rd doesn't hang together well because of the length and mood of the slow movement but it's never bothered me, just as I don't mind the lengthy Grosse Fugue being part of the op. 130 string quartet. The allegretto movement of the 7th is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written and the work as a whole is beautifully proportioned, just like the 5th.


Correct on all points.


----------



## Skilmarilion

Mine would be the 6th. It is one of his most original and wonderfully crafted works. The transition from the drama and power of the "storm" into the serene finale is a particular highlight.


----------



## Sonata

The 6th.

I think this one is beautiful. I like it more than the 5th and more than the last movement of the 9th. (On par with the first three movements of the 9th)


----------



## ptr

I still think that the Jena Symphony is the Best thing LvB wrote or not! :devil:

/ptr


----------



## AClockworkOrange

Even under these stipulations, it is no easier to pick as there are no true clunkers. 

I would have to say the Eighth, though I would pick the Eighth over the Fifth in a heartbeat (iconic and powerful though it is).

It is close but I also have a lot of time for the First and Second, which often seem under rated in comparison to their successors.


----------



## Cheyenne

I over-listened to the sixth, and no longer find it all that enjoyable; from the selection here I can't choose between the third, fourth, seventh and eighth.


----------



## Guest

It is a _really_ difficult choice. 7th or 3rd. I will go with the third. His greatest second to 9th or perhaps his greatest. Eroica is a masterpiece!


----------



## julianoq

6th, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 2nd, 1st, in no particular oder


----------



## Feathers

The 7th is my favourite, with 6th being a close second.


----------



## davinci

The 3rd has always been my favorite. Next is No. 1 with it's classical roots that progress into a form we've never heard before.


----------



## RalphJohnSteinberg

The Eroica, especially when conducted by FURTWAENGLER.


----------



## Tristan

Mahlerian said:


> The 4th. It's brilliant, lively, and wonderfully inventive.


Same. Very underrated as well 

In second place for me would be the 6th.


----------



## Ramako

Eroica. Eroica. Eroica.


----------



## Geo Dude

I'll select the third. The sixth and seventh are no slouches, though.

EDIT: BTW, I'm a fan of the fourth, too, and also feel that it's under-rated as a result of being sandwiched between the third and fifth, but I do feel that it's a bit 'top-heavy'--the first movement is great but the recordings that I've heard seem to lose focus during the fourth movement in particular.


----------



## mmsbls

Eliminating 5 and 9 I would say 7 then 3. I also love 8, 6, and 4. OF course I like all of them, but maybe the 2nd is one I would rarely choose to play.


----------



## Geo Dude

mmsbls said:


> OF course I like all of them, but maybe the 2nd is one I would rarely choose to play.


Interesting. I like #2 but am not fond of #1. (I find it too aggressive, like Haydn without the charm. #2 fixes up some of those problems.)


----------



## deinoslogos

3rd, 7th and 9th are all neck and neck for me to begin with. Cutting out the 9th only makes it slightly easier. I guess I'd go with the 3rd, since it's just a little more emotionally varied, but really you can't go wrong with either.


----------



## moody

ptr said:


> I still think that the Jena Symphony is the Best thing LvB wrote or not! :devil:
> 
> /ptr


You know very well that it was by Friederich Witt.


----------



## PetrB

No. 8. Gets skimmed over much of the time, brief, more classical than any of the others I can think of, and a full delight.


----------



## Pianoxtreme

Ramako said:


> Eroica. Eroica. Eroica.


The 3rd would have been my second choice over the 6th.


----------



## grimmfo

7
the symphony that made me love Beethoven.

FG


----------



## BaronAlstromer

One, six and seven.


----------



## Guest

PetrB said:


> No. 8. Gets skimmed over much of the time, brief, more classical than any of the others I can think of, and a full delight.


And, as a string player, an absolute joy to play (like the 4th). Hot damn, when music of this calibre just 'falls under the fingers' as easy as peeling slow-cooked chicken off the bone ...
Unlike Bruckner, I'm afraid. Great music, but what a fargin' slog (for the basses, in any case) !!


----------



## TrevBus

Having heard the 6th while watching Fantasia, got me started on classical music. So, the 6th.


----------



## mtmailey

To me the number 7 in a major is the best nice & long the allegro con brio is the best part.


----------



## Llyranor

3rd, definitely the 3rd. It's maybe even my favorite of the bunch.


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Number 4 cannot be improved upon.


----------



## BeatOven

The No. 8 is fun and exciting, I am awed by No. 6, but i think No. 3 takes the cake for me. 

1st - No. 3
2nd - No. 6
3rd - No. 8


----------



## Cosmos

I wish you didn't exclude the 9th!

But if I only had to choose one, I'd say 3. Though the 6th is lovely, the 3rd interests me more just for its history, being the turning point of symphonies in general


----------



## Bix

Mine would be the 3rd, no the 6th, wait the 8th, tis tricky - one of the composers where I like all of the symphonies.


----------



## Novelette

I suppose saying "all of them" would contradict the purpose of this thread?

The eighth symphony, then. My first exposure to it was through Liszt's transcription, I've enjoyed it ever since.

The third is tied, or very nearly so.


----------



## Celloman

Beethoven's 6th is definitely my favorite, even more than 5 and 9. That part where the sun comes out at the end...love it! Only Beethoven can take a bunch of I and V chords and turn them into sublime art.


----------



## JacksButler

Symphony No. 4, then No. 7 and then the Eroica (which is, for me, the one work that totally changed classical music). No. 4 is just gorgeous, especially the sublime slow movement. No. 7 is super-charged with energy. Of course, you can't do without any of them!


----------



## peeyaj

The 7th is the first symphony that I really liked from Beethoven's oeuvre.


----------



## HaydnBearstheClock

No. 2 or No. 4.


----------



## realdealblues

After all this time it's still Symphony No. 1 for me. I listen to Beethoven's 1st more than any of his others.


----------



## SixFootScowl

Eroica and #1 are my favorites after the Ninth.


----------



## Frasier

The Eroica, and for a second choice, the 4th.


----------



## maestro267

No. 7, even if 5 and 9 were included.

Tbh, I'm surprised by the number of recommendations for the "slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants". It's probably my least favourite of his symphonies.


----------



## KenOC

Some believe that #4 is the most technically perfect of Beethoven's symphonies. I don't know about that, but IMO it's very fine indeed.


----------



## maestro267

But I don't think it packs quite the same punch as 3, 5, 7 & 9. I like my music with a bit of punch.


----------



## Polyphemus

No 7 by a mile. Walk out of a concert hall after a top performance of the 7th and there is likely to be a silly grin on your face and a spring in your step. The "apotheosis of the dance" also includes a sense of bonhomie and good will towards your fellow man.
Can't be bad, can it?


----------



## Itullian

6
One of the most beautiful things ever written.


----------



## apricissimus

3rd.

The 6th is getting a lot of support here. It's actually my least favorite of his symphonies, though I think it's not bad at all. It just seems to suffer in comparison with the others.


----------



## Rhombic

The 4th Symphony, commonly subtitled _the forgotten_ or _the underrated_ or even _the complete-the-nine-Beethoven-symphonies-compilation symphony_. I find it much more natural than the Eroica and more genuine than the second one.

Just a few steps behind lies Symphony No. 7, whose great second movement contains in one bar the greatness that the finale cannot hold in the whole last movement.


----------



## DaDirkNL

apricissimus said:


> 3rd.
> 
> The 6th is getting a lot of support here. It's actually my least favorite of his symphonies, though I think it's not bad at all. It just seems to suffer in comparison with the others.


Why do you think of the 6th as suffering in comparison with the others? As a Pastoral enthusiast I would like to know.


----------



## hpowders

I love the Pastoral and it would have been my #1 pick even if #5 and #9 were included in the poll.


----------



## shangoyal

My order:

7
8
9
6
5
3
2
1

Have not heard not 4 enough to rate it.


----------



## wrycker

Pastoral, definitely.


----------



## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

I don't know what so many find appealing about the Pastoral. To me, it's the most boring Beethoven symphony post Eroica (most applealing at first but just too repetitive and not as deep as his others). 4th, 7th, 8th and 3rd, in that order for me.


----------



## DeepR

Number 3, if not only because in my view the first movement beats any other movement from any of his symphonies.


----------



## csacks

It is hard to chose in between the 3rd and the 7th. I think I will go for the 3rd because of his impact on history. Albeit all his fame, the 5th is not in my list of favorites. 
The 6th is lovely, but only the storm sounds like Beethoven to me. The remaining movements are like Schubert rather than Beethoven. I do love Schubert, but not when I am in the mood for Beethoven.


----------



## csacks

Sorry, it was published twice


----------



## southwood

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> I don't know what so many find appealing about the Pastoral. To me, it's the most boring Beethoven symphony post Eroica (most applealing at first but just too repetitive and not as deep as his others). 4th, 7th, 8th and 3rd, in that order for me.


I like Liszt's transcription of the Pastoral when performed by Glenn Gould.

I recall hearing the hymn after the storm movement (orchestral original version) on a classical collection tape years ago when still unfamiliar with the Pastoral, and found it very beautiful. I would choose No.6 as my favourite, probably after no.5, and no.9 sans the choral climax. I can appreciate the Eroica too. Noble.


----------



## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

southwood said:


> I like Liszt's transcription of the Pastoral when performed by Glenn Gould.
> 
> I recall hearing the hymn after the storm movement (orchestral original version) on a classical collection tape years ago when still unfamiliar with the Pastoral, and found it very beautiful. I would choose No.6 as my favourite, probably after no.5, and no.9 sans the choral climax. I can appreciate the Eroica too. Noble.


Let me clarify: when I said "most boring", I used "boring" only in the comparative sense to Beethoven's other symphonies. It certainly is not boring on its own.


----------

