# The Real Top 20 C Major Symphonies of All Time



## peeyaj

Found this on the internet..



> http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2012/01/20/the-real-top-20-c-major-symphonies-of-all-time/


20- Mozart- Symphony no. 34

19- Haydn- Symphony no. 63 "Roxelane"

18- Haydn- Symphony no. 41

17- Bizet- Symphony in C.

15 and 16- Prokofiev- Symphony no. 4

14- Stravinsky- Symphony in C

13- Dukas- Symphony in C

12- Schubert -Symphony no. 9 "The Great"

11- Schubert- Symphony no. 6

10- Stravinsky- Symphony in 3 Movements

9- Mozart- Symphony no. 36 "Linz"

8- Sibelius- Symphony no. 3

7- Haydn- Symphony no. 82 "Bear"

6- Beethoven- Symphony no. 1



> Now, we come to the top 5 symphonies in C Major, and the competition here becomes absurdly intense. Between them you could make a good case they make a credible* "Top 5 Symphonies of All-time, never mind the key." *All five have a legitimate claim to the top spot on this list.


5- Haydn- Symphony no. 60 "Il Distratto"

4- Sibelius- Symphony no. 7

3- Shostakovich- Symphony no. 7 "Leningrad"

2- Mozart- Symphony no. 41 "Jupiter"

1- Schumann- Symphony no. 2!!

I don't agree with this guy.. In fact I would say this list is laughable.. Putting Schubert's Great and Mozart's Jupiter behind Schumann's is blasphemous in my book. Some of his reasons I don't agree with. Perusing the website, I found that he is a great admirer of Schumann and Haydn's music. Bias much. 

For example:


> 5- Haydn- Symphony no. 60 "Il Distratto"
> 
> It's the funniest and most modern work on this list, possibly the funniest and most modern symphony ever written. Haydn uses most of the 20th c "isms" in this piece- surrealism, absurdism, modernism, poly-stylism, and hops effortlessly between tightly integrated symphonic argument and rapid-fire cinematic jump-cutting.


What do you think?

btw, I'm in the comments section.


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## peeyaj

My comment that is not currently posted:



> Thanks for the resources. But first, I am going to dissect your ridiculous comment:
> 
> "
> Now, we come to the top 5 symphonies in C Major, and the competition here becomes absurdly intense. Between them you could make a good case they make a credible "Top 5 Symphonies of All-time, never mind the key." All five have a legitimate claim to the top spot on this list."
> 
> For this, I am going to refer to DDD's list of Greatest Symphonies in Classical Music" found here http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best-classic-symp.html. I think this is more objective than this "one-man" list.
> 
> Here are the top ten symphonies in C major. The number on the end are the placings of the symphonies in the DDD list.
> 
> 1. Symphony No. 41 in C major "Jupiter - Mozart(5)
> 
> 2. Symphony No. 9 in C major "The Great" - Schubert(9)
> 
> 3. Symphony No. 7 in C major - Jean Sibelius (57)
> 
> 4. Symphony No. 36 in C major "Linzer" - (78)
> 
> 5. Symphony No. 2 in C major - Robert Schumann (85)
> 
> 6. Symphony in C major - Georges Bizet (87)
> 
> 7. Symphony No. 4 in C major "Poem of Ecstasy" - Alexander Scriabin ( 89)
> 
> 8. Symphony No. 1 in C major - Ludwig Van Beethoven ( 92)
> 
> 9. Symphony No. 7 in C major "Leningrad" - Dmitri Shostakovich 92
> 
> 10. Symphony No. 3 in C major - Jean Sibelius ( 95)
> 
> Jupiter and the Great C Major placed inside the top ten of the greatest symphonies in any key. Your number 1, Schumann's second is on the bottom of the barrel at number 85. With the exception of the Jupiter, your top 5 are in the bottom of the list. Haydn's 60 is not even on the DDD's list! I can post the TalkClassical Greatest symphony list, but I think it would be too much..
> 
> Perusing your site, I found that you are a great advocate of Robert Schumann. Honestly, I like some of Schumann's music (the piano concerto is amazing), but this list (in putting Schumann at the top) is just plain wrong.
> 
> We have our own opinion, but it is fair to say that the general consensus among classical music fans, "great" maybe is Schumann's second, it would never approach the ranks of either Mozart's or Schubert's symphony.


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## trazom

Well, the Schubert and Mozart symphonies are also my favorite; but who compiled the lists at DDD, do you know? They seem sort of idiosyncratic. Mozart's 13th greatest work is "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"? Really?


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## Vesteralen

My top 3 would have been Schumann, Schubert 6 and Bizet (in that order)


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## Chrythes

Even though I don't agree with this list, I find it a bit ironic that these words - "I found that he is a great admirer of Schumann and Haydn's music. Bias much" come from you in a negative light, because after all you are the biggest Schubert fanatic here - extremely biased in his favour. 

If you were to make the same list I wouldn't be surprised if you put Schubert's 9th in the first position, and if I were the guy that made the first list you posted (the one that is biased because of his admiration of Schumann) I would criticize you the same way you criticized him i.e you are biased because you admire Schubert so much.


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## peeyaj

@Chrythes

I have my own biases too, but if I'm going to write that list, it's going to be:

1. Mozart's Jupiter

2. Schubert's Great C Major

3. Sibelius' 7th

4. Bizet's Symphony in C

5. Schumann's 2nd

That would be it. And I think some of the members would agree in the ranking. It is more less on line on the TC list.


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## Chrythes

So your list is more legitimate than his because it's more on par with the TC list, or the DDD lists? 
I think you are simply outraged because he didn't include Schubert's 9th in the top 5, but it is his list. I agree that it looks pretentious calling it the "real" top C symphonies, but maybe the guy just doesn't enjoy Schubert (he actually did praise the 9th in that list, so I guess he acknowledges its merit, so it might come down to personal flavour).


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## peeyaj

I love Schubert, but I know his limitations in the symphonic genre. Ask any classical music enthuasiast, if Schumann's second is better than the Jupiter* or Great C Major, and you will know the answer.

Pretentiousness. Yeah. That's my problem with the list. He also said that the top C-major symphony in his list are credible contenders in the *''top 5 symphonies in all time in any key''*. According to that comment, more or less, his top 5 are equal to Beethoven's 9th, 5th and 3rd; Brahms 4th, Tchaikosky' sixth or Mahler's Ninth, which is absurd in my opinion.

And placing Schubert's weak Little C major above Great C major? Come on.. You know it's absurd.

*


> So, how on Earth can I justify claiming that Schumann's opus 62 * surpasses* Mozart's masterpiece, a work many critics consider the greatest symphony ever written? Both works are full of contrapuntal felicities to boggle the mind, but the Mozart is, for all its greatness, not without flaws. Some of the first movement of the Jupiter is a bit *too formulaic* "C major trumpet and drums" music, and its not his most harmonically inspired movement by any measure. And, even though the Finale is probably, all-in-all, the most impressive movement of symphonic music I know, I find the last few bars disappointing. The famous Coda, where Mozart gets all 6 themes going at once, promises a more inspired ending than the slightly standard-issue last 8 bars.


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## Vesteralen

peeyaj said:


> And placing Schubert's weak Little C major above Great C major? Come on.. You know it's absurd.


No doubt you're right about that. But, for old, impatient people like me, the "heavenly length" of the 9th is yawn-inducing. I prefer more economical musical expressions, so I'll pop in the 6th every time. 

And, for some reason, the "Jupiter" has never been one of my favorite Mozart symphonies either. Of course, it's in E-flat, but I'll take the 39th over it (and just about any other symphony on this C major list - except the Schumann).

On the other hand, if we *must* be ruled by the conventional wisdom.... Hey, vive le difference.


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## Very Senior Member

If anybody is looking for some light relief look no further than the comments section of the thread referred to in the OP. I can't remember the last time I've seen such deliciously flavoured sarcastic put-downs as those made by the proprietor of that website to some of the comments he has unfairly received about his choice of symphonies, in particular in regard to Schumman's alleged "muddy" orchestration.


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## Lisztian

All I can say is that you really need to stop using the DDD lists to back up your claims. Hell, lists in general - but especially the DDD.


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## tdc

@peeyaj - I think you underrate Schumann's 2nd quite a bit, other than that I more or less agree with you.


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## peeyaj

tdc said:


> @peeyaj - I think you underrate Schumann's 2nd quite a bit, other than that I more or less agree with you.


Sorry for being too dense in my replies.  I enjoy Schumann's 3rd and 4th.. Not top tier symphonies like the Beethoven's or Mahler's, but they were good! I just did not enjoy his second as much. It sounds "clunky" in my ears. Perhaps I will learn to like it as I explore Schumann's oeuvre.


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## PlaySalieri

Myself - I prefer rum and raisin.
As for putting toffee and banana at number one - sheer poppycock.


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## Klavierspieler

peeyaj said:


> Sorry for being too dense in my replies.  I enjoy Schumann's 3rd and 4th.. Not top tier symphonies like the Beethoven's or Mahler's, but they were good! I just did not enjoy his second as much. It sounds "clunky" in my ears. Perhaps I will learn to like it as I explore Schumann's oeuvre.


What? Your placing the clunky old Fourth over the Second? And the Third too? Come, don't be ridiculous...


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## brianwalker

peeyaj your comments are cavalier and rude. Schumann's 2nd is probably one of the most underrated works in the symphonic repertoire.


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## nikitema

Shostakovich Symphony 7 “Leningrad” the best symphony in C Major on my opinion.


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