6 (or so) Great symphonic openings.

[vandermolen]

What are your favourite symphonic openings and why?

Nielsen Symphony No 5 - wonderfully mysterious and urgent.

Brucker Symphony No 9 - emerges mysteriously from the mists.

Vaughan Williams symphonies 4 and 6 - plunges you straight into the turmoil

Walton Symphony No 1 - as with Nielsen's 5th it opens very mysteriously with its tentative, urgent theme and a great sense of slumbering power.

Khachaturian Symphony No 2 'The Bell' wonderfully intimidating opening (try Chisholm's 'Pictures from Dante' for this type of opening too).

[not edward]

For me, Sibelius 6 and Lutoslawski 4 are the outright standouts in this.

Both take me to a completely different world in a couple of bars alone.

[vandermolen]

For me, Sibelius 6 and Lutoslawski 4 are the outright standouts in this.

Both take me to a completely different world in a couple of bars alone.

I agree about the Sibelius and must listen to the Lutoslawski (not a composer I know well, although I was in his presence once when at University and like his Concerto for Orchestra)

[Lethevich]

Bax 6 always comes to mind for this subject - as good as the work is, it never quite lives up to the opening.

Edit: I forgot my why It's remarkable to me because it fulfils two quite different functions that often cannot be achieved at the same time: it is superbly atmospheric, and sets the tone for the rest of the piece. In those opening 30 seconds you can instantly have an impression of how the piece will pan out. But unlike some openings I can recall which also immediately throw you into the music's tonal world (Langgard's 10th for example), the Bax is also thematically memorable as well, with a "big tune" of sorts.

[vandermolen]

Bax 6 always comes to mind for this subject - as good as the work is, it never quite lives up to the opening.

Edit: I forgot my why It's remarkable to me because it fulfils two quite different functions that often cannot be achieved at the same time: it is superbly atmospheric, and sets the tone for the rest of the piece. In those opening 30 seconds you can instantly have an impression of how the piece will pan out. But unlike some openings I can recall which also immediately throw you into the music's tonal world (Langgard's 10th for example), the Bax is also thematically memorable as well, with a "big tune" of sorts.

Thanks. This is a work I love too - yes, it opens with a kind of grinding dissonance. I recall the LP notes by Peter Pirie referring to the score as suggestive of great winged things tearing each other apart. I also like the quieter, enigmatic start of Symphony No 5 which is my favourite of the series.

[greg]

I don't know if I could think of 6 right now, but I know for sure of 3:
Brahms 2nd
Mahler 9th
Bruckner 4th

They all kind of say the same thing, but in a different way. Kind of like waking up in the middle of a forest in the morning or something.

[Octo_Russ]

Bantock - Celtic Symphony So gentle and mysterious, you can feel yourself transported back in time.
Shostakovich - Symphony 10 Nice dark double basses, full of sombreness.
Mahler - Symphony 5 A powerful trumpet fanfare, nice and sparse.
Bax - Symphony 3 A solo bassoon for half a minute!, an unpretentious and original start to a Symphony, but it has character!.
Beethoven - Symphony 5 Revolutionary even by today's standard, and still probably the most memorable and oft quoted opening ever!.
Sibelius - Symphony 2 Nice forward momentum, very catchy, but the ending is even better.

[vandermolen]

Bantock - Celtic Symphony So gentle and mysterious, you can feel yourself transported back in time.
Shostakovich - Symphony 10 Nice dark double basses, full of sombreness.
Mahler - Symphony 5 A powerful trumpet fanfare, nice and sparse.
Bax - Symphony 3 A solo bassoon for half a minute!, an unpretentious and original start to a Symphony, but it has character!.
Beethoven - Symphony 5 Revolutionary even by today's standard, and still probably the most memorable and oft quoted opening ever!.
Sibelius - Symphony 2 Nice forward momentum, very catchy, but the ending is even better.

Nice choices.

[oabmarcus]

I think Beethoven had a special talent with really big, grand openings.

[hornteacher]

Dvorak 7 - rising from the primordial abyss to something big.

Copland 3 - Serene picture of a wide open landscape.

Beethoven 6 - The opening phrase is so beautiful and simple, yet is developed in so many ways.

[Teresa]

Richard Strauss: opening fanfare from "Also Sprach Zarathustra" - the most thrilling 2 minutes in music, maximum goosebumps!

Johan de Meij: Symphony No. 1 "The Lord Of The Rings"
This is my favorite symphony of all time and the grandest epic of them all.  The opening movement Gandalf is thrilling and utterly beautiful. 

Malcolm Arnold: Tam O' Shanter: Overture
Oh my god, not only the opening is thrilling but the entire piece.  One of my absolute favorites.

Paul Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The opening strains prepare one for the magic to come, this is perhaps the most perfectly written piece of music of all time.  If you seen Walt Disney's Fantasia the mental visual images will intensify the effect even more.

Ferde Grofé Grand Canyon Suite
The imagery from the very first notes of Sunrise I am transported to the Grand Canyon.  Grofé is IMHO the world's best orchestrator, no one else can PAINT orchestral images that transport one to the landscape they are painting they way Grofé can.  It is amazing and the Grand Canyon is one of the best. 

Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 50 "Mount St. Helens"
From the very first notes you know you are in for something beautiful and extremely exciting.

[Sid]

Bax - No. 7 - quite gripping but I agree it doesn't live up to what it promises

Shostakovich - No. 4 - a very chilling & stark opening, almost maniacal

Penderecki - No. 1 - I love the use of the orchestral whip to add rhythm & colour

Lutoslawski - No. 3 - he quotes the opening of Beethoven's 5th, but sped up so much that you hardly recognise it

Messiaen - Turangalila - a very colourful, urgent and tense opening (but also joyful?)

Mahler - No. 4 - the sleigh bells makes this opening quite light but memorable?

(& a seventh)

Prokofiev - No. 3 - The tubular bells could be noises from a factory, or (obviously) church bells...

[Guido]

Richard Strauss: opening fanfare from "Also Sprach Zarathustra" - the most thrilling 2 minutes in music, maximum goosebumps!

Johan de Meij: Symphony No. 1 "The Lord Of The Rings"
This is my favorite symphony of all time and the grandest epic of them all.  The opening movement Gandalf is thrilling and utterly beautiful. 

Malcolm Arnold: Tam O' Shanter: Overture
Oh my god, not only the opening is thrilling but the entire piece.  One of my absolute favorites.

Paul Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The opening strains prepare one for the magic to come, this is perhaps the most perfectly written piece of music of all time.  If you seen Walt Disney's Fantasia the mental visual images will intensify the effect even more.

Ferde Grofé Grand Canyon Suite
The imagery from the very first notes of Sunrise I am transported to the Grand Canyon.  Grofé is IMHO the world's best orchestrator, no one else can PAINT orchestral images that transport one to the landscape they are painting they way Grofé can.  It is amazing and the Grand Canyon is one of the best. 

Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 50 "Mount St. Helens"
From the very first notes you know you are in for something beautiful and extremely exciting.

Hahaha! This post is hilarious! 

[Teresa]

Hahaha! This post is hilarious! 

I do not understand your sense of humor?  It was not meant to be funny.  I spent a long time finding the six greatest symphonic openings from my collection of over 2,000 classical recordings.   

[Guido]

I do not understand your sense of humor?  It was not meant to be funny.  I spent a long time finding the six greatest symphonic openings from my collection of over 2,000 classical recordings.   

Oh I assumed you jokingly and warm heartedly going into complete hyperbole! I can understand that you like this music, but Grofé the "world's greatest orchestrator"?! Sorcerors Apprentice "perhaps the most perfectly written piece of music of all time"?! Johan de Meij's The Lord of the Rings Symphony "my favorite symphony of all time and the grandest epic of them all"?!

Fair enough! 

[canninator]

I don't know about six but the first time I heard Mahler 9 was the Bruno Walter (1938 I think) and the first bars were like an other worldly experience. Maybe it's because I know what's coming now and so that first impact is lost forever but I've never heard another recording with that almost transcendental feel to it.

[Teresa]

Oh I assumed you jokingly and warm heartedly going into complete hyperbole! I can understand that you like this music, but Grofé the "world's greatest orchestrator"?! Sorcerors Apprentice "perhaps the most perfectly written piece of music of all time"?! Johan de Meij's The Lord of the Rings Symphony "my favorite symphony of all time and the grandest epic of them all"?!

Fair enough! 

Well, I have compositions by 391 composers and not a single one can paint such an accurate and vivid sonic picture using the tonal characteristics of the instruments of the orchestra as Ferde Grofe can, nor one as enjoyable.  I do not understand why all of his suites are NOT the most popular works in the cannon. 

IMHO only a handful of works are perfect from the first note to the last and The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one of those few.  I believe it is because Paul Dukas spent so long on each composition, insuring it's perfection.  His other works are also of high calibre but nothing quite equals The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

And what can I say, Johan de Meij's Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings" is absolutely amazing, as is all of his compositions.   IMHO this is not only the best symphony of all time but one of my top five favorite classical works period. 

Do you have a lesser opinion of these works or composers?  It is fine if you do.   

[Orpheus]

Haydn - Symphony no.45

Mozart - Ouverture Don Giovanni

Mendelssohn - Symhony no.4

Brahms - Concerto for Piano no.1

Mahler - Symphony no.6

Strauss - Don Juan

ect...

[Guido]

I can see their appeal, but I'm not sure they merit such high praise. I agree that Dukas at least is quite marvellous - the piano sonata is just incredible.

Grofé and Johan de Meij strike me as being rather bland and underdeveloped composers - their naivity and lack of subtlety begins to grate on my ears after a while. Their music has immediate surface appeal but that's where it ends I feel - this is probably why their works are not the most popular in the canyon cannon. 

[Teresa]

Guido have you tried listening to Grofé and Johan de Meij in a darkened room with eyes closed sitting in the "sweet spot"?  I assure you their music is quite deep and multi-layered and only gets better and more vivid with repeated listening.  Nothing whatsoever bland about either composer, in fact quite the opposite as it is some of the most exciting music I own.  Their works are do not sound underdeveloped to me as they do to you, indeed they are more developed than most other composers.  I have NEVER heard naivety or any lack of subtlety from either Grofé and Johan de Meij and quite frankly they are a real pleasure to my ears.  I am firmly convinced lack of exposure is why they are not more popular.  They are both masters of melody, harmony and orchestral color!