# Choral symphonies



## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Here's a list of choral symphonies on wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_choral_symphonies

I love hearing a choir in symphonic music. Which works would you recommend from the list above, particularly for their choral finales? 
Or perhaps there are other works that aren't even on the list.

I just listened to an obscure work, Siegmund von Hausegger - Nature Symphony (1911), which also has a choir in the finale. This one isn't on the list. 



I'm impressed, by the way.

My favorites for now, so we can skip these:
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 2
Mahler - Symphony No. 2
Mahler - Symphony No. 8
Scriabin - Symphony No. 1


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I noticed Vangelis - Mythodea is mentioned. Even though I like that piece for what it is, I don't think it belongs in a list of choral symphonies. So I'm not sure this list is very credible.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

The list is far from complete. On top of my head, there are other similar works by Myaskovsky (no.6), Langgaard (no.14), Nørholm, Weinberg, Lokshin, Jiri Valek and Siegmund von Hausegger.

But I´d like to throw in recommendations for Eisler´s _Deutsche Sinfonie _, Gorecki´s _2nd Symphony _(a pretty monumental and somewhat violent piece) and Myaskovsky´s _6th Symphony_.

And of course Scriabin, Mahler, Shosty, Berlioz, Beethoven, etc.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony and Rachmaninoff's The Bells are particular favorites.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

I agree with all of the above. Let me add:


*Erkki Melartin*: Symphony no. IV "Summer."
*Sibelius*: Kullervo.
*Nielsen*: Sinfonia Espansiva (Symphony no. III).
*Kalervo Tuukkanen*: Symphony No. 3 "The Sea."
*Vladimir Scherbackov*: Blok Symphony (no. II).
*Kurt Atterberg*: Symphony no. IX " Visionaria."
*Leonard Bernstein*: Jeremiah Symphony (no. I) & Kaddish (Symphony no. III).
*Charles Ives*: Symphony no. IV.
*Kabalevsky*: Symphony no. III.
*Shebalin*: "Lenin" Symphony.
*Weinberg*: Symphony no. VI & VIII (Polish Flowers).
*Adolfs Skulte*: Symphony no. II "Ave Sol."
*Janis Ivanovs*: Symphony no. IV "Atlantis" (eerily beautiful yet morbid).
*Berlioz*: Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Shostakovich Symphony 13

Henze Symphony 9

Carl Vine Symphony 6

Beriioz Romeo and Juliette


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Berlioz - Roméo et Juliette

Ives - Symphony No. 4

Berio - Sinfonia


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Definitely another vote for Eisler. I'd also include Schnittke's Symphony No.2 (_St. Florian_) and Symphony no.4 in my favourites.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Thanks all, looking forward to listening to some of these.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Orfeo said:


> I agree with all of the above. Let me add:
> 
> 
> *Nielsen*: Sinfonia Espansiva (Symphony no. III).


I think that this is rather a stretch of definition ... two soloists and wordless solos


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Sea Symphony by Vaughn-Williams is not bad.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

I love choral symphonies as well. Beethoven's 9th has obviously earned its place as one of the greatest symphonies of all time, and the choral aspect of it is part of its appeal. Scriabin's, Mahler's 2nd and 8th are also excellent, as well as Shostakovich's 13th and 3rd (the 3rd is an experimental early work, but it does have a good choral finale).

Beethoven's Choral Fantasy is not a symphony, but it is a piano concerto with a choral finale and it's probably one of my all-time favorite works.


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## Chris (Jun 1, 2010)

I love Gustav Holst's Choral Symphony


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Liszt's two symphonies haven't been mentioned yet. Both are top picks to say the least.


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