# Favorite Romantic-Era Symphony



## Queen of the Nerds

Tell me what your favorite is and why!


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## ptr

Mahler's Fourth, it encompasses everything the romantic ethos builds on!

/ptr


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## Ukko

Dvorak's 9th. It's got 'it'.


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## Skilmarilion

From the whole Romantic era -- wow, that's tough.

I still lean towards Tchaikovsky's 6th. Deeply expressive and actually quite radical, with it effectively beginning and ending with slow movements, and with its abandonment of the darkness-to-light idea which he had utilised in the 4th and 5th.

No question, I think this had a great influence on many composers, and is a remarkable achievement for someone who always had nagging doubts regarding his self-worth as a symphonist.


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## Tristan

Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique 

Maybe I'm just saying that because I have it on my mind right now  My other nomination would be Tchaikovsky's 4th.


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## Dim7

Kinda broad question, huh? For a lot of people here probably, there isn't any other kind of symphony than a romantic symphony...


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## csacks

I would vote for Brahms´first. It is a demonstration of equilibrium, creativity, maturity and a finale with a message full of hope and glory. It may not be the best, but is my favorite.


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## hpowders

Brahms Fourth Symphony. It forecasts impending doom more beautifully than any piece I know.


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## Guest

Tough one. Up in my top 4 are Tchaikovsky's 6th, Mahler's 2nd and 6th, and Dvorak's 9th. Twist my arm and I will name Mahler's 2nd.


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## Haydn man

Schubert 8th gets my nomination.
It is the dark brooding intensity slowly building over the 2 movements, truly a masterpiece


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## realdealblues

Wikipedia lists the "Romantic Period" as roughly 1815-1910. 

Maybe if you could narrow it down to 1 specific year I could pick one :lol:

Buy yeah, seriously too tough for me.


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## DiesIraeCX

I can't choose. It's between Mahler's 4th, 6th, 9th, and Brahm's 4th.

Honorable mention to Bruckner's 9th.

If you consider Beethoven's 9th a romantic symphony, then that would be my #1 choice.


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## Andreas

Bizet's C major.

Of the pre-Tristan part of the romantic era, that is. Of the post-Tristan part, it would have to be something by Brahms or Bruckner.


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## Rhombic

Romanticism does not have an abrupt end... in fact, it continues and leaves us to try to distinguish the end of that period, when it really merges into 20th Century eventually. Except in some extreme cases (Xenakis, Stockhausen), I cannot clearly trace any perfect division here. Of course, this is only important if your favourite Romantic symphony belongs to this transition period.


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## PetrB

Schubert: 8th

Mahler: 
4th
Das Lied von der Erde (yes, everyone, it qualifies and counts)
Adagio from the 10th

Nielsen 5th


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## PetrB

DiesIraeVIX said:


> If you consider Beethoven's 9th a romantic symphony, then that would be my #1 choice.


... but it ain't a romantic symphony


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## ProudSquire

I don't have an absolute favorite, but I have many that I like. I'm a greedy person, so my jar is never truly full!

Brahms 1-4
Schumann's 2nd and 3rd
Schubert's 8th and 9th
Mahler's 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 9th
Tchaikovsky's 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th
Dvorak's 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th
Mendelssohn's 4th
Bruckner's 4th and 5th
Rufinatscha's 5th
Sibelius' 1st, 2nd and 5th

There far too many to list, but these will suffice for the present being. :tiphat:


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## MoonlightSonata

If Beethoven's Ninth counts (which apparently it doesn't), that would be my nomination. Instead, then, I shall have to choose between Berlioz's _Symphonie Fantastique_, Dvorak's Ninth, Mahler's 5th and Schubert's 8th.
Vaughan Williams' _Sea Symphony_ is quite romantic in style but probably not romantic _era_.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit

My favorite is prolly Brahms 4 - it unambiguously fits the category 'Romantic' (as opposed to maybe proto-romantic Beethoven or post-romantic Mahler and Sibelius) and is of staggering beauty and power.



Rhombic said:


> Romanticism does not have an abrupt end... in fact, it continues and leaves us to try to distinguish the end of that period, when it really merges into 20th Century eventually. Except in some extreme cases (Xenakis, Stockhausen), I cannot clearly trace any perfect division here. Of course, this is only important if your favourite Romantic symphony belongs to this transition period.


Yeah, for the sake of simplicity I narrowed it down to post-Beethoven but still more or less common practice (although Wagner begins to move away from common practice and even the modal inflections of certain romantic composers does as well).


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## DiesIraeCX

MoonlightSonata said:


> If Beethoven's Ninth counts (which apparently it doesn't), that would be my nomination.


MoonlightSonata, you have to realize that PetrB's various opinions on Beethoven are, um... well, he isn't the only opinion! There are *ample* resources (musicologists, musicians, and the like, which he seems to value so highly, and rightly so) that would say otherwise. Books, essays, and articles have been written on this subject. I don't think simply declaring it "not a romantic symphony" has turned the tide. Lol. It was in his Late Period in which Beethoven often broke free of the "Classical Idiom". From the "American Bach Soloists" article on the Ninth, "_Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has always been a masterwork that simultaneously creates a chasm-through the nature of its wide range of summative styles and form-and bridges its own gap. It pushed the instruments of its generation to the limit, and has, for nearly two centuries, elicited highly personalized readings and interpretations. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is often described as a work which broke free of "Classical" style. Just as one can cite the music of Richard Strauss as having taken the Romantic style-even diatonic harmony-to its very outer limits_".

So, yeah, I'm gonna go with Beethoven's 9th as my pick. ;-)


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## KenOC

Well, we have some hidebound absolutists around here, certainly. For myself, I don't see Ludwig's 9th as a "romantic" symphony, but if you do, your opinion is quite as good as mine.

Now Beethoven's 4th...that not "romantic"? Snicker snicker snort snort... :lol:


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## DiesIraeCX

KenOC said:


> Well, we have some hidebound absolutists around here, certainly. For myself, I don't see Ludwig's 9th as a "romantic" symphony, but if you do, your opinion is quite as good as mine.
> 
> Now Beethoven's 4th...that not "romantic"? Snicker snicker snort snort... :lol:


Well, Ken, my thoughts have been and still are that there are different and competing opinions on the matter.

The topic is rather trivial, I guess. It's music! Forget the label.


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## KenOC

DiesIraeVIX said:


> The topic is rather trivial, I guess. It's music! Forget the label.


If we didn't argue about labels -- what's classical and what's romantic, what's tonal and what's not, what does "modernism" mean -- I'm not sure there would be a lot to talk about around here! :lol:


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## PetrB

DiesIraeVIX said:


> MoonlightSonata, you have to realize that PetrB's various opinions on Beethoven are, um... well, he isn't the only opinion! There are *ample* resources (musicologists, musicians, and the like, which he seems to value so highly, and rightly so) that would say otherwise. Books, essays, and articles have been written on this subject. I don't think simply declaring it "not a romantic symphony" has turned the tide. Lol. It was in his Late Period in which Beethoven often broke free of the "Classical Idiom". From the "American Bach Soloists" article on the Ninth, "_Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has always been a masterwork that simultaneously creates a chasm-through the nature of its wide range of summative styles and form-and bridges its own gap. It pushed the instruments of its generation to the limit, and has, for nearly two centuries, elicited highly personalized readings and interpretations. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is often described as a work which broke free of "Classical" style. Just as one can cite the music of Richard Strauss as having taken the Romantic style-even diatonic harmony-to its very outer limits_".
> 
> So, yeah, I'm gonna go with Beethoven's 9th as my pick. ;-)


Okeedoh, I want to add to the list of nominations Debussy's _La Mer_ (yes, folks if you analyze it, it is a formal symphony, regardless of what the composer titled it. Though of course, I'm joking. Neilsen's 5th, which I did nominate, is both 'modern' and romantic. But hey, its a TC post kinda poll-like, so why _not_ open the doors to Rachmaninoff, Samuel Barber, Prokofiev, Neilsen, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and a host of others who at least have the right sort of flavor if not dates?


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## tdc

Not counting Ives who I'll label a Modernist rather than Romantic:

Schubert: 9
Brahms: 1-4
Mahler: _Das Lied von der Erde_


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## neoshredder

Beethoven is both Classical and Romantic IMO. Beethoven's 6th could easily be from Dvorak or Tchaikovsky.


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## aajj

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Schubert - No. 9
Brahms - No. 4
Mendelssohn - No. 4 'Italian'

So much for naming one.


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## Skilmarilion

DiesIraeVIX said:


> I can't choose. It's between Mahler's 4th, 6th, *9th* ...


I didn't make a list because I assumed we'd end up with loads of symphonies being tossed around in this thread, but I almost felt bad for not mentioning Mahler's 9th ... I guess I'll make a list anyway, lol. :tiphat:

Schubert: 9
Mendelssohn: 2, 3, 4 (the first movement of the 3rd is remarkable)
Brahms: 3, 4
Bruckner: 5 through 9 (a real shame he never finished the 9th)
Mahler: *all* (except for most of 8)
Sibelius: *all*
Tchaikovsky: *all* (except for 2)
Rachmaninov: 2 (an ace of a work, especially given the pummelling he took when his 1st "failed" -- I like the 3rd as well)


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## Queen of the Nerds

For purposes of this post, the Romantic Era is from 1825-1910. Okay?


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## QuietGuy

Impossible to choose one. My top picks would be:

Tchaikovsky 5th and 6th
Brahms 1
Dvorak 9


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Mahler's 7th _is_ my favourite symphony. His best 1st movement, two wonderful Nachtmusik movements, I love the scherzo and the finale is to me one of the best finales Mahler has produced (I also give credit to his 1st and 6th for their finales.)


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## DeepR

My favorites are Dvorak 9, Bruckner 8, Mahler 2, Scriabin 1


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## hpowders

I have to say the Schumann Second Symphony, especially with Karajan conducting is the very definition of Romanticism in my opinion.


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## PetrB

Queen of the Nerds said:


> For purposes of this post, the Romantic Era is from 1825-1910. Okay?


LOL. _*SO MUCH FOR BEETHOVEN'S 9th, THEN!*_


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## DiesIraeCX

PetrB said:


> LOL. _*SO MUCH FOR BEETHOVEN'S 9th, THEN!*_


Haha, darn, missed it by one year! :lol:


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## atmplayspiano

I really love the _Symphonie Fantastique_, as it was a turning point in orchestral color. The final movement is my favorite (I am partial to the use of Dies Irae).


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## 20centrfuge

I like Tchaikovsky 5th. Probably because it is one of the first pieces I ever performed with an orchestra. It has strong sentimental connection for me.


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