# Symphony suggestions?



## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

My collection of symphonies is begging to be fed, and I'd really appreciate some suggestions to help it grow. As of right now, here's what I have:

*Dvořák:*

Symphony No. 8
Pretty good, makes me think of a different world...

*Brahms:*

Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 4
Actually, I haven't listened to No. 1 yet.  No. 4, however, reminds me of a different world in the same way as Dvořák's 8th.

*Beethoven:*

Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"
Symphony No. 5
Always seem to associate No. 1 with morning, but I really love how he takes such a simple motif and totally builds the whole symphony around it in No. 5.

*Haydn:*

Symphony No. 60
Very stately, but intensity ebbs and flows very nicely. I prefer my symphonies in four movements, though. 

*Tchaikovsky:*

Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5
No. 4 is definitely very Russian, but in such a great way! The movements square each other off very nicely. No. 5 is a little more sleepy, but the ending of mvt. III cadences nicely to lead into the beginning of mvt. IV, which at first sounds more like a coda than a concluding movement, until it starts to really build up for a climactic ending. Fantastic!

So... any suggestions? Maybe some new things to try, maybe some similar styles to pair up nicely? Thank you in advance!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Schubert 8
Mdndelssohn 3,4
Schumann 3
Beethoven 6
Brahms 2,3
Dvorak 9
Bruckner 4,9
Mahler 4,9
Sibelius 5
Tchaikovsky 6
Berlioz Symfonie Fantastique
Saint Saens 3

to stay in the romantic idiom.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2010)

Yes, you definitely need to expand! First, you should add Dvorak's 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th to your list, as well as Brahms' 2nd and 3rd. I would also recommend Mendelssohn's 3rd and 4th, Sibelius' 2nd (just for starters; listen to the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th afterwards), Prokofiev's 1st and 5th (don't be alarmed at how different they are), and Vaughan Williams' 2nd and 5th. This should offer some pretty good variety for you; I'm sure someone will come along and give you other good selections as well. These just happen to be some of my favorites (and in my opinion nothing beats Brahms).


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Less famous, but very worthwhile:
Raff - 5 (Lenore)
Suk - Asrael
Gliere - 3 (IM)


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Wow, that was quick! *starts writing stuff down* I've got some hunting to do, now.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2010)

Kopachris said:


> Wow, that was quick! *starts writing stuff down* I've got some hunting to do, now.


And there's plenty more where that came from


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best-classic-symp.html

I hope this url works.. it's being weird


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

If you want "a different world," then nothing beats *Alan Hovhaness *(who wrote about 70 symphonies!). The most well-known & easiest to get is _Symphony No. 2 "Mysterious Mountain."_ His music is modern but thoroughly accessible & it has a real sense of craftsmanship (his wife apparently said that he was born in the wrong century). Delos has a few good 2 cd sets of his music, at budget price (one of them includes the second symphony). Budget label Naxos also has about 5 discs of his music (but not the second symphony, so I'd go for the one with _Symphony No. 22 "City of Light" _- now there's another world! - & the early_ Cello Concerto_). Enjoy!...


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## Bobotox (May 3, 2009)

Were to begin. First and foremost everyone should listen to Raff 's 11 symphony masterpieces. They are the finest pieces of music from the Romantic era. Other composers I would recommend are Anton Rubinstein, probably the best Russian composer ever. Reinecke, Czerny, Braga Santos, Bax. Ries, and Alfven too.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Haydn's latter symphonies are very Beethovenian (or vice versa). Check out the Symphony No. 100 "Military" for some nice moments and even a bit of humor.

I would recommend Beethoven's 7th before the 6th, though all of Beethoven's are good.

A couple of very nice C20 symphonies:
Copland -No. 3 (includes Fanfare for the Common Man so you get two works for the price of one sort of.)
Nielsen - No. 4 "The Inextinguishable"



Bobotox said:


> Other composers I would recommend are Anton Rubinstein, probably the best Russian composer ever.


I agree with this statement whole heartedly. Though I have not yet heard his symphonies, the Piano Concerto No. 5 is full of melodic wonders.


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## Major Minor (May 30, 2010)

Andre said:


> If you want "a different world," then nothing beats *Alan Hovhaness *(who wrote about 70 symphonies!). The most well-known & easiest to get is _Symphony No. 2 "Mysterious Mountain."_ His music is modern but thoroughly accessible & it has a real sense of craftsmanship (his wife apparently said that he was born in the wrong century). Delos has a few good 2 cd sets of his music, at budget price (one of them includes the second symphony). Budget label Naxos also has about 5 discs of his music (but not the second symphony, so I'd go for the one with _Symphony No. 22 "City of Light" _- now there's another world! - & the early_ Cello Concerto_). Enjoy!...


I'll second this one, I recently became addicted to Hovhaness. 
His ability to balance melodies -and- modern approach is amazing.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2010)

Yes, definitely check out Alan Hovhaness. Other composers I've recently fell in love with are Bohuslav Martinu, Arnold Bax, Amy Beach, and William Grant Still. All wrote symphonies that are excellent.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2010)

Dvorak - Symphony No. 9
Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 6, 7, & 9 (absolutely at least the 6th and the 9th, but the 7th is very nice as well)
Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique
Schubert - Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9
Bruckner - Symphony No. 4
Mahler - all of them, but start with Nos. 1 & 2
Mozart - Nos. 40 & 41
Tchaikovsky - No. 6
Rachmaninoff - No. 2


These are the ones I continuously return to -


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

You should definitely get the Mahler and Bruckner symphonies, the 7 of Sibelius, the Borodin 2nd,
the Saint-Saens 3rd(organ )symphony, the Franck d minor, the first six Dvorak symphonies,
the two of Elgar, the Prokofiev 1st(classical0 and 5th, Shosatakovich 1,5,7,9 ,10,
Vaughan Williams 2,4, 6, all four of Schumann, the seven completed Schubert symphonies, Mendelssohn 3 and 4, Copland 3, the six of Nielsen, all 3 of Rachmaninov, just for starters.
For a really good buy,get the Kertesz/LSO set of all 9 Dvorak symphonies on Decca.


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## JAKE WYB (May 28, 2009)

Sibelius 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Bax 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

VW 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Martinu 1,2,3,4,5,6

Shostakovich 4,5,6,7,8,10,11,15

Mahler 1,2,3,5,6,7

Nielsen 4,5

Those were my symphony introductions and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a wide range of early 20th century, colourful, rewarding listens - best thing is not to just go forthe popular ones because more often than not it can be the others that can be vry diffrent and more interesting


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

I would also recommend Liszts Faust and Dante symphonies, as well as Mozarts 41 and 40


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## Earthling (May 21, 2010)

Kopachris said:


> So... any suggestions? Maybe some new things to try, maybe some similar styles to pair up nicely? Thank you in advance!


To name just a few of each as doorways to other avenues:

You absolutely cannot go wrong with *Beethoven's sixth symphony*. Put that one high on your to-listen-to list. Its just one unending stream full of melodic lines and can be quite an emotional experience. I recently got John Eliot Gardiner's HIP recording and I think really captures the spirit of it wonderfully. Its part of a box set however, and I don't think you can get it separately (iTunes offers it on a separate "album" IIRC).

Of all of *Sibelius' *symphonies, I like the *third *the most, with a really sunny first movement. There's a good recording of it on Naxos by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.

*Hovhaness *has a real modal flavour and I'm quite taken by his *2nd symphony* at the moment (with Gerard Schwarz conducting in my particular recording). Modern, but modal, not atonal. Very much in the vein of much of Ralph Vaughan Williams' modal work.

And of *Vaughan Williams*, the *3rd and 5th symphonies *are great places to start. I've heard a few recordings of both of these symphonies, but I like Hickox's on Chandos the best.

*Aaron Copland's third *is still a relatively conservative modernist symphony-- it straddles his more popular work of Copland and the more dissonant work-- but it does lean more toward his popular approach. The first movement especially is a thing of beauty, very expansive. Yoel Levi's recording of this is excellent.

*Shostakovich's tenth symphony *is a dramatic affair written after Stalin's death. The first movement (20 minutes long) is amazing by itself. I like Jarvi's recording, but check out Karajan's.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2010)

Earthling said:


> Of all of Sibelius' symphonies, I like the third the most, with a really sunny first movement. There's a good recording of it on Naxos by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.


That is my favorite Sibelius symphony as well. It was the work that got me into Sibelius, who is now one of my favorite composers. After the Third my favorites are the 7th, 4th, 5th, 2nd, and 1st. The 6th still hasn't caught on for me yet.

A Sibelius-like symphony is George Dyson's Symphony in G. Also try Douglas Lilburn's symphonies (no. 2 is especially fantastic).


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## Julie (Jun 4, 2010)

Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D Major.


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## Earthling (May 21, 2010)

Jeff N said:


> That is my favorite Sibelius symphony as well. It was the work that got me into Sibelius, who is now one of my favorite composers. After the Third my favorites are the 7th, 4th, 5th, 2nd, and 1st. The 6th still hasn't caught on for me yet.
> 
> A Sibelius-like symphony is George Dyson's Symphony in G. Also try Douglas Lilburn's symphonies (no. 2 is especially fantastic).


The third was my gateway into Sibelius as well  though the 6th is my third favourite (following the 7th). I need to revisit Lilburn's symphonies. His single movement works are wonderful (Aotearoa, the Drysdale Overture, etc.) and absolutely love his piano music (we need more recordings of it!), but oddly, I haven't been able to connect to any of his three symphonies-- yet. I don't know Dyson's work at all and I'll have to check it out.


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## lavenderchild (May 20, 2010)

Beethoven Symphony No7 in A major


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I would venture into Mahler (2, 6, 9), Bruckner (4, 8 (and 8 is a real must-hear)), and Sibelius (2-7) first, and then go from there to Rubbra's symphonies (especially 5 and 6).

Happy listening!

WV


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## gmubandgeek (Jun 8, 2010)

I am a Haydn fanatic and I cannot get enough of him. You simply must add his 88th, 92nd (the "Oxford"), the 45th (The "Farewell"), and the 83rd (The "Hen"), to your collection As far as Mozart is concerned I'm really liking his 9th symphony. It's short for a symphony (it's 4 movements though) but it's a really good symphony. As far as Beethoven, you simply need them all but I highly recommend his 8th symphony (his "little symphony in F"). Someone mentioned the Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique." That's also a must. Shostakovich's 5th, and 10th symphony is also a necessary thing.


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## JAKE WYB (May 28, 2009)

World Violist said:


> I would venture into ............ Sibelius (2-7) first....................


strangely enough I came to *sibelius* with the *1st* - anyone liking the broader romantic sound should start with the 1st - and people who eventually tap into the sibelius magic will end up at the *6th* which is the most magical and artistically rich of them all as far as I can see now


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## TWhite (Feb 23, 2010)

Koprachis: 

I might suggest some 'filling in' of several of the composers you've listed. 
Dvorak's Sixth Symphony in D Major is a favorite of mine--like the Eighth, it's a rather 'sunny' work and very refreshing to listen to, at least IMO.

Brahms Second (also in D Major), very interesting with a lovely second movement and a really rousing, good-humored finale.

I'd also include the 7th and 8th of the Beethoven symphonies, they make an extremely interesting pair. 

And the Tchiakovsky 2nd ("Little Russian") is a lot of fun. It's amazing how much mileage he gets out of a little 2-bar phrase in the finale.

Tom


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

JAKE WYB said:


> strangely enough I came to *sibelius* with the *1st* - anyone liking the broader romantic sound should start with the 1st - and people who eventually tap into the sibelius magic will end up at the *6th* which is the most magical and artistically rich of them all as far as I can see now


Me too Jake, but I think that was more to do with it being the first Sibelius symphony I had seen in concert. I shortly discovered I much preferred the 2nd and still do!


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## jives11 (Jun 20, 2010)

I'd echo the Sibelius suggestions, his Symphonies are all wonderful. I think the 5th & 7th are my favourites


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## Ian Elliott (Nov 15, 2010)

Brahms's Third. Enescu's First. Villa-Lobos' First (he wrote 12; I've only heard 1 & 11 so far). Roussel's 3rd and 4th. Honegger's 4th. Szymanowski's 4th. Chausson, Bizet and Franck (one symphony each). Dvorak's 7th. Josef Suk's 'Asrael' Symphony.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

Egon Wellesz, symphony no. 4 (He composed 9 but start by this one, it's awesome)


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

Hey- you're getting a ton of suggestions which is great, but in case your getting lost in them here are some of the 'core' symphonies that would be good for expanding a collection:

Dvorak 9
Beethoven 7
Mozart 40,41
Mahler 1 or 5 (for starters)
Sibelius (most would suggest 2 or 5 but my favorite is 3)

and then for something a little more modern try Prokofiev 5 or Shostakovich 10... and that should keep you busy for awhile. Then decide which composers/eras you like the most (keeping in mind ones you've already mentioned- Haydn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky) and delve into the rest of their works. Every composer mentioned above has a strong symphonic cycle, except with Mozart you should start with symphonies 29 and after and Haydn you might want specific suggestions since 106 symphonies would be a big investment. 

Hope that helps!


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Nix said:


> Sibelius (most would suggest 2 or 5 but my favorite is 3


I'd definitely go for 3 first. Many say that one should go for 2 or 5, but I think the hype surrounding them is a bit overdone. Yes, they're great symphonies, but for me the 3rd just has an extra something. Magic, joy, purity, whatever you want to call it; it brings to mind the later symphonies in its focus and compactness while retaining the immediacy of the early symphonies--best of both worlds, in my opinion.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

I think that the most important thing is to listen to a couple of recordings of each symphony. You might dismiss a great work that you'd otherwise be able to appreciate, if you only listen to an uninspired recording.

Try to learn some favourite orchestras and conductors; pick up recordings from them.


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## Jean Christophe Paré (Nov 21, 2010)

Bruckner's 7th Symphony
Shostakovich's 10th Symphony
Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony "avec orgue".


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## johogofo (Nov 22, 2010)

Brucker (any from 4-9 )
Mahler (any from 1,2,5,6,8,9 )
Tchaikowski 6
Rachmaninov 2
Schubert 8,9
Beethoven 7,9
Brahms 2,3


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

Pitchon, symphonie no. 7

Martin


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## Saturnus (Nov 7, 2006)

Nix said:


> Hey- you're getting a ton of suggestions which is great, but in case your getting lost in them here are some of the 'core' symphonies that would be good for expanding a collection:
> 
> Dvorak 9
> Beethoven 7
> ...


Seconded! It's so easy just to list every symphony you like without thinking of the sheer cost and time it would take to listen to them (like most people here seem to do). 
But Nix's list is really solid. In my opinion you should go for Sibelius 5, the third is a bit of a "cult" symphony, it is usually the least popular while the fifth is like the flagship of Sibelius's music. Don't get me wrong, the 3rd is really underestimated and if you can get a CD with the 3rd and 5th on it (I think the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra - Naxos recording is like that).


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Hi all, 
dont forget to check out this:

http://www.talkclassical.com/11038-tc-150-top-recommended.html


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## Ian Elliott (Nov 15, 2010)

I agree to a large extent with your list. I love Sibelius, though I find the 3rd problematic. I'm very fond of the 6th, even the 'Gypsy' influence in the finale. Dvorak's 7th is almost the perfect symphony for me. My favorite Beethoven is yours. And of course, the last two Mozart symphonies should be on any list.

I would add Schubert's 9th. Schumann's Rhenish (4th, I think), Szymanowsky's Song of the <night (again the 4th I believe), and Roussel's 3rd and 4th. I am very fond of Roussel, and those two symphonies have gotten under my skin.

And certainly Vaughan William's 6th!


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## Mahler7 (Sep 7, 2010)

Mahler 7, you can never outgrow this piece.


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## Ian Elliott (Nov 15, 2010)

OK, I'll try it out. I find him a little formalistic, but I haven't heard enough of his stuff to come to a conclusion.


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