# what is the happiest most cheerful symphony you have ever heard???



## Tarneem

quite curious to see your recommendations


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## BachIsBest

Maybe not strictly happy-go-lucky, but exudes a positive sense of nobility and good-spiritedness.


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## Waehnen

For me Beethoven Pastoral and Brahms 2nd are joyful and cheerful music.


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## Kreisler jr

Prokofiev: Symphonie Classique
Bizet: Symphony C major
Mozart: K 200 (#28)
Haydn: 30, 31, 48
Dvorak: #5


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## Highwayman




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## Tarneem

Kreisler jr said:


> Prokofiev: Symphonie Classique


this is the first thing that came to my mind


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## Josquin13

#1=F. J. Haydn, Symphony No. 31 "Hornsignal"





2. Mozart, Symphony No. 31 ""Paris": 



3. Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 "Classical": 








4. Schubert, Symphony No. 5: 



5. Beethoven Symphony No. 1:
















6. Schumann, Symphony No. 1 "Spring": 



7. Schumann, Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish": 



8. Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral":


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## jegreenwood

BachIsBest said:


> Maybe not strictly happy-go-lucky, but exudes a positive sense of nobility and good-spiritedness.


I'll go with the Italian Symphony.


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## RobertJTh

Rheinberger's Florentine Symphony!
In the sub-genre of faux Italian symphonies, it out-Italians Mendelssohn! That beginning alone, with the timpani establishing the rhythm, it gets your blood racing. At least it would if the performance wasn't so stodgy and earth-bound. You really want to put some Mediterranean pepper in these people's behinds. 52 minutes is ridiculous, I think the piece could easily be done in 40-45 minutes. And it wouldn't be so bad if this wasn't the only available recording ever... (Paavo Järvi, where are you?)


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## Barbebleu

Mahler 8 clearly!:tiphat:


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## Brahmsian Colors

Dvorak: Symphony 8
Mendelssohn: Symphony 4, "Italian"
Bizet: Symphony in C
Schubert: Symphony 5
Beethoven: Symphony 6, Pastorale
Prokofiev: Symphony 1, "Classical"


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## ScottK

Great Question!!! Classical music so often explores the depths of our souls...

When I think of happy and cheerful in symphonies I think of

Mozart "Linz" Symphony
and
Schumann "Rhenish"


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## Brahmsianhorn

Schubert 5th for me


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## CnC Bartok

For a symphony that ends about as joyous and happy and life-affirming as is possible, then try Martinů Symphony No.4.


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## ScottK

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Schubert 5th for me


Yes!!! I would like to add the Schubert 5th as well!


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## RobertJTh

Also, for a symphony that isn't superficially happy and cheerful, but gives you powerful positive "vibes":
Elgar's 1st.


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## cougarjuno

Gounod - Symphony no. 1


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## Heck148

Probably something by Haydn - 
#88, I guess.

Beethoven Sym #6


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## Alfacharger

CnC Bartok said:


> For a symphony that ends about as joyous and happy and life-affirming as is possible, then try Martinů Symphony No.4.


The Martinu Second Symphony is a wonderfuly sunny composition.






Elliot Carter's First Symphony is somewhat cheerfull.






Bernard Herrmann's Symphony ends with a very joyfull final movement. (28.31 in the video.)


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## jim prideaux

Can I echo the previous post regarding Martinu's 2nd.......a wonderful work, my favourite of the six and although the slower central sections are very poignant the symphony is very uplifting.

I would add Kalinnikov's 1st.


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## mbhaub

jim prideaux said:


> I would add Kalinnikov's 1st.


I'll second that and add Kalinnikov's 2nd. Did anyone ever write two more life-affirming, beautiful and uplifting symphonies?


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## bassaliens22

Not sure how it hasn’t been mentioned yet, but Schubert’s 9th is my favorite when I’m in a good mood. In fact, listening to Schubert’s 9th is probably enough to put me in a good mood anyways.


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## Rogerx

The Toy symphony from Leopold Mozart, if that don't make you happy.......


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## jim prideaux

mbhaub said:


> I'll second that and add Kalinnikov's 2nd. Did anyone ever write two more life-affirming, beautiful and uplifting symphonies?


Listening now ( having been prompted by your post) and reminded just how invigorating the work is, particularly the final movement!)....Thanks.


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## Orfeo

Alfven: Symphony III
Atterberg: Symphony IV
Nielsen: Symphony III
Gade: Symphony I
Svendsen: Symphony I
Bax: Symphony IV
Lloyd, George: Symphonies VIII & IX
Mendelssohn: Symphony IV
Bliss: A Color Symphony
Copland: Symphony III
Tchaikovsky: Symphony III
Goldmark: Rustic Wedding Symphony
Smetana: Festive Symphony


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## Tarneem

bassaliens22 said:


> Not sure how it hasn't been mentioned yet, but Schubert's 9th is my favorite when I'm in a good mood. In fact, listening to Schubert's 9th is probably enough to put me in a good mood anyways.


agree, its last movement can be the most one of the most exciting music ever composed


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## maestro267

Tchaikovsky's 3rd Symphony. Even the parallel-minor slow movement isn't sad.


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## hammeredklavier

Rogerx said:


> The Toy symphony


"Recent research (published in 1996) on a newly found manuscript suggests the Austrian Benedictine monk Edmund Angerer [de] (1740-1794) to be the author. If Angerer's manuscript (from 1765, entitled "Berchtolds-Gaden Musick") is the original, the Toy Symphony was originally written not in G but in C major. These findings, however, are disputed among scholars. There is reason to believe that the true composer will likely never be known, in whole or in part, given its confused origins and the paucity of related manuscript sources."


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## arpeggio

Excellent suggestions.

I am surprised no one has mentioned the Shostakovich _Ninth_.

The American composer, Don Gilles, composed many symphonies that are cheerful. He was the chief composer and arranger for the NBC Symphony with Toscanini. His most famous in the _Symphony 5 1/2_.






Another fun symphony I do not think has been mentioned is Morton Gould's _Latin American Symphonette_.






Carlos Chavez _Sinfonia India_:






I can think of many more.


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## Tarneem

arpeggio said:


> I am surprised no one has mentioned the Shostakovich _Ninth_.


no one suggested it because it's one of the darkest symphonies ever composed.... Shostakovich could have got executed for it!


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## maestro267

And have you heard the fourth movement of Shostakovich 9?


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## arpeggio




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## Coach G

*what is the happiest most cheerful symphony you have ever heard???*

Any number of the Haydn symphonies are pure joy: #82 "The Bear"; #94 "Surprise"; #97; #100 "Military...

...as well as Prokofiev's tribute to Haydn, the _Classical Symphony_.


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## superhorn

I find it extremely difficult to say which symphony is the "happiest & most cheerful ", but I can't think of abetter example than the rarely performed Dvorak 6th symphony , which deserves to be as well known as the composer's symphonies 7-9 . 
If this symphony doesn't leave you in a really good mood there is no help for you ! It's saturated with the spirit of Czech folk music and the third movement scherzo is a Czech "Furiant" dance , which is a rapid 3/4 dance , with a calm trio section with an extended solo passage for the piccolo . 
This movement is so infectious you'll want to break out into dancing yourself ! The finale also has enormous verve and "joie de vivre " and brings the symphony to an exhilarating conclusion . 
I first got to know this wonderful symphony ages ago during the LP era from the classic recording of all nine Dvorak symphonies conducted by the tragically shot lived Hungarian conductor Istvan Kertesz ( 1929-1973) with the LSO on Decca .


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## Tarneem

superhorn said:


> I find it extremely difficult to say which symphony is the "happiest & most cheerful ", but I can't think of abetter example than the rarely performed Dvorak 6th symphony


I love this symphony! full of sunshine. in fact I was listening it today


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## Tarneem

Coach G said:


> *what is the happiest most cheerful symphony you have ever heard???*


Yoshimatsu's 6th


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## Olias

Personally, I think the finale to Haydn's 88th is the happiest three minutes of music ever written, it is for me anyway.

Others
Haydn 82, 88, 92, 96, 100, 101, 102 (and others)
Chevalier de Saint-Georges 1
Mozart 29, 31, 35, 36
Beethoven 1, 4, 8
Mendelssohn 4
Schubert 5
Schumann 1
Dvorak 5, 6, 8
Tchaikovsky 2
Prokofiev 1

For an isolated movement, the finale to Shostakovich 6th is heaps fun even though it's satire.


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## Tarneem

jim prideaux said:


> Can I echo the previous post regarding Martinu's 2nd.......a wonderful work, my favourite of the six and although the slower central sections are very poignant the symphony is very uplifting.
> 
> I would add Kalinnikov's 1st.


I listened to Kalinnikov's 1st, I'm super interested to listen to a lot more of his compositions


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## ansfelden

instantly Prokofiev 1.


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## jim prideaux

Tarneem said:


> I listened to Kalinnikov's 1st, I'm super interested to listen to a lot more of his compositions


2nd now becoming my favourite......the final movement is arguably the epitome of what we are discussing here!


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## MusicSybarite

Dvorak 8, Nielsen 3 or Braga Santos 4. No contest.


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## Rogerx

Barbebleu said:


> Mahler 8 clearly!:tiphat:


I just seen this, I can't stop smiling the rest of the day. 
( I agree it's a masterpiece however : '' Cheerful''):angel:


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## Haydn man

Many of Haydn’s symphonies make me happy lots of them already mentioned 
So I will add in No.6


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## jim prideaux

MusicSybarite said:


> Dvorak 8, Nielsen 3 or Braga Santos 4. No contest.


glad to see the wonderful Nielsen 3 getting recognition it so richly deserves!


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## hammeredklavier

The Presto (succeeded by the Adagio introduction) is idiomatically similar to Mozart's Figaro overture 



. The third, final movement starts on the same gesture as the Presto of the first 



.


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## CopistaSignorGomez

hammeredklavier said:


> The Presto (succeeded by the Adagio introduction) is idiomatically similar to Mozart's Figaro overture
> 
> 
> 
> . The third, final movement starts on the same gesture as the Presto of the first
> 
> 
> 
> .


For a major extern influence in Las Bodas overture I will say we had to look to il divino boemio

listen to this

you can ever hear the initial motif

and a few measures later you will also hear the main theme of La clemenza oberture






P.D: Just a message for you: Yesterday I found the same theme used by Mozart and M.Haydn in two salzurg divertimentos of this composers. I had to look the score more exactily , but I think we have a new quote for you long list of Mozart - M.Haydn coincidences, if it's not yet.


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## Nawdry

Tarneem said:


> what is the happiest most cheerful symphony you have ever heard???
> quite curious to see your recommendations


Off top of head ...

Beethoven 6 (Pastoral)
Prokofiev 1 (Classical)


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## LeftReflection

Mozart's childhood/early symphonies immediately come to mind. Most of them full of youthful energy and joy which always manages to cheer me up - I recall some of the A major symphonies, such as 14 (K.114) and 21 (K.134), being especially cheerful. 

For heavier symphonies, Schumann's Rhenish and Beethoven's Pastoral, especially the first movements - very spirited.


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist

Symphonies are dreadful. I could not possibly think of a more dull & boring form of music.


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## starthrower

BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> Symphonies are dreadful. I could not possibly think of a more dull & boring form of music.


The happy ones, for the most part. But I can't go all the way with your extreme opinion.


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## hammeredklavier

BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> Symphonies are dreadful. I could not possibly think of a more dull & boring form of music.


Except a certain composer's 8th (whose name starts with the letter M)
it's not what you would expect: 



 (Wow.. isn't this a surprise?)


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## bwv543

This is not intentional, but my list is almost all 6s... Beethoven 6, Bruckner 6, Dvorak 6, Shostakovich 6.

EDIT: I guess Brahms 2, Schubert 9, and Schumann 1 deserve a place on my list but now I'm loathe to break the pattern.


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## haziz

Hard to pinpoint, but I find the following quite cheerful:

Kalinnikov Symphony No. 1
Dvorak Symphony No. 5
Dvorak Symphony No. 3
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade - Ok, so technically it is not a "symphony", whatever that means, and some of it is literally stormy, but I am always grinning from ear to ear listening to it.

I love Tchaikovsky's music so much that even when the music is downright gloomy, I am loving it and therefore consider his numbered symphonies ( 1 through 6 ) as part of my "happy" music.


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## Joachim Raff

I will give you one. Haydn Symphony No.86. This is the final movement with a video I shot in the Yorkshire Wolds


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