# Favorite 3rd Best Symphony by a Composer



## bz3 (Oct 15, 2015)

So as not to make it so easy or predictable, this is (EG) how I am framing the question for this thread:

IMO Mahler's 3rd best symphony is 5
IMO Beethoven's 3rd best symphony is 8
IMO Brahms's 3rd best symphony is 1
IMO Prokofiev's 3rd best symphony is 1

& so on. This is entirely subjective, don't fret over what a composer's 3rd best is. The query is which of *your own personal 3rd best* is your favorite - the above is just an example of my personal opinion.

So my answer, based on my subjective opinions, is Brahms 1. It's a work I'd never want to be without - one of the most powerful and muscular in the whole repertoire IMO.

So what's yours?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

bz3 said:


> So as not to make it so easy or predictable, this is (EG) how I am framing the question for this thread:
> 
> IMO Mahler's 3rd best symphony is 5
> IMO Beethoven's 3rd best symphony is 8
> ...


Very strange perspective, why not asked your favourite symphony?


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## bz3 (Oct 15, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Very strange perspective, why not asked your favourite symphony?


I want to see who posters feel goes 3-deep, in baseball terms. I know Beethoven/Mahler well enough.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

bz3 said:


> I want to see who posters feel goes 3-deep, in baseball terms. I know Beethoven/Mahler well enough.


Okay, going to have a big think :tiphat:


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## Bayreuth (Jan 20, 2015)

Schubert 5
Beethoven 5
Mahler 4
Shostakovich 10
Sibelius 1
Mozart 36
Dvorak 8
Martinu 5
Rachmaninov 1
Tchaikovsky 4
Brahms 2


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Interesting idea. Favorites have been done, bypass the second favorite, go right for the third. I like it! So, symphonies that aren't my favorite, but would still recommend as the 3rd best by each composer:

Mozart - Symphony no. 25 in g minor. Not one of his "best" ones, just my third personal favorite.
Beethoven - Symphony no. 9 in d minor. My first favorite is the 6th, 5th and 7th tied for second place.
Mahler - Symphony no. 2 in c minor. This was a tough one to pick, because I love my favorite Mahler symphonies equally
Prokofiev - Symphony 3 in c minor. To be fair, though I've listened to his symphonies 2 and 6 at least once before, I've yet to familiarize myself with them, so just as of this date, symphony 3 is my 3rd favorite.
Tchaikovsky - Symphony no. 5 in e minor - Only because the 6th and 4th go a few inches before it, imo.
Bruckner - Symphony no. 3 in d minor - I like it better than the 4th, even though that one is considered his true breakthrough


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Just a few:

Bax 1
Beethoven 7
Brahms 2
Bruckner 4
Mahler 6
Schubert 5
Shostakovich 10
Sibelius 2
Tchaikovsky 5
Vaughan Williams 3


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## Foghunter (Jan 28, 2016)

Bruckner 2
Beethoven 5
Brahms 3
Sibelius 7
Tchaikovsky 5
Vaughan Williams 1
Pettersson 9
Atterberg 3
Rachmaninov 3
Glass 6


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Fun concept.

CPE Bach: String symphony in A major
WF Bach: Sinfonia in D major
Haydn: 88
Kraus: Symphony in E flat
Henri Joseph Rigel: Symphony in F major
Mozart: 36 "Linz"
Beethoven: 9
Schubert: 5
Schumann: 4
Brahms: 1
Bruckner: 4
Tchaikovsky: 1
Dvorak: 7
Mahler: 2
Sibelius: 6
C. Nielsen: 4
Martinu: 6
Prokofiev: 1
Shostakovich: 15
Honegger: 4
A. Tcherepnin: 3
William Schuman: 5

About all I have sufficient knowledge/preference, to cover.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

For Beethoven it is Symphony # 9.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Mahler's 3rd best symphony is 5
Beethoven's 3rd best symphony is 8

Can live with this.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Mahler symphony 6 is third for me.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

For Brahms my 3rd favorite of his is symphony # 2


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Nice thread. At the moment.........

Beethoven #6
Dvorak #6
Sibelius #4
Mahler #6
Bruckner #8
Tchaikovsky #4
Brahms #2
Mozart #25


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Merl said:


> Nice thread. At the moment.........
> 
> Beethoven #6
> Dvorak #6
> ...


That's the spirit, I know how it goes, tomorrow is another day.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Here are my other 3rd favourite symphonies!
Brahms 4th
Rachmaninov 2nd
Tchaikovsky 6th
Dvorak 8th
Beethoven 4th
plus many more that can't think of at moment!!

Sorry, didn't read thread properly so these are my third favourites.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Yep, this list will have changed by tonight, nevermind tomorrow, Pugg. :lol:


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

More of mine:
Haydn Symphony # 93
Dvorak Symphony # 9
Brahms # 2


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