Favorite Symphony by a 1-Symphony Composer

[Luke]

If "La Mer" doesn't count as a symphony this is a purely semantic poll.   0:)

Agreed, except that, as per

If Alpine is a symphony so is the Sinfonia Domestica.

if La Mer is a symphony so is Iberia, and maybe the Nocturnes too. So Debussy wouldn't be a one symphony guy either 

[Scarpia]

if La Mer is a symphony so is Iberia, and maybe the Nocturnes too. So Debussy wouldn't be a one symphony guy either 

I would reluctantly agree to Iberia (except that I don't really recognize it as music at all, but that's me) but the Nocturnes don't strike me as a symphony because, unlike La Mer, they lack "symphonic" coherence.  They strike me as three independent pieces.

[Luke]

Agreed on the Nocturnes (my point was that one could make the argument....) but

I would reluctantly agree to Iberia (except that I don't really recognize it as music at all, but that's me)

Wow! That's quite unexpected!

[Scarpia]

Wow! That's quite unexpected!

Spanish music has no appeal to me, and Spanish music written by French composer, even less so.  Spanish music written by Russian composers (Rhapsodie Espagniole) even worse!

[Gurn Blanston]

I see a lot of mention of Chausson's excellent symphony, but no votes to speak of. Sad, very sad. I put my vote where my mouth is though and happily vote for the lovely Opus 20 in Bb. Even though it's French...



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Now playing:
Andreas Staier - Dussek Op 65 Sonata in Ab Return to Paris 2nd mvmt - Molto adagio con anima ed espressivo

[Conor71]

The Turangalîla is the only one I know out of the list of options so it gets my vote! 

[Scarpia]

I see a lot of mention of Chausson's excellent symphony, but no votes to speak of. Sad, very sad. I put my vote where my mouth is though and happily vote for the lovely Opus 20 in Bb. Even though it's French...

Then it's just the two of us.   

[Gurn Blanston]

Then it's just the two of us.   

Kinda scary out here on the edge, eh Scarps?     



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Now playing:
Andreas Staier - Op 35 #1 Sonata in Bb for Fortepiano 1st mvmt - Allegro moderato e maestoso

[eyeresist]

This thread almost makes me wish Kalinnikov had died before he wrote his 2nd :/

Herrmann's seems to be often called "Symphony No. 1", which makes me wonder if there is another one in the archives to be discovered. That would be cool.

I didn't know Webern had written one. Can an eight minute piece really be a symphony? (And is the Yuasa recording any good?)


Anyway, I picked Chausson, especially in the Ansermet performance, which I think has more light and shade than Munch. Get the Australian Eloquence CD of it (with Faure's Penelope prelude and Pelleas et Melisande suite), a delight from start to finish.

[Mirror Image]

I chose Chausson. I heard this a few years ago and I found to be one of the best symphonies to be written by someone who didn't live long enough to compose more.

[ibanezmonster]

Messiaen, with Webern in second. But I didn't vote... a couple of them I either haven't heard or it's been way too long since I've listened, so I don't know.

[Grazioso]

This thread almost makes me wish Kalinnikov had died before he wrote his 2nd :/

For shame! But his first is darn good!

[Cato]

I see a lot of mention of Chausson's excellent symphony, but no votes to speak of. Sad, very sad. I put my vote where my mouth is though and happily vote for the lovely Opus 20 in Bb. Even though it's French...

I mentioned the Chausson early, before it appeared on the list, and so voted for Rott.


And yes, on the Herrmann Symphony: I have seen recordings calling it #1, as if there is a #2.  But no, only one symphony is among his oeuvre.


Alban Berg wrote an analysis of Arnold Schoenberg's Pelleas und Melisande and indicated that it had a symphonic structure.  But similar to the Strauss "symphonies" (Alpine and Domestic), the proper term is still tone-poem.

[schweitzeralan]

Another symphony poll: your favorite by a composer who for whatever reason (early death, laziness, etc.) only completed one symphony.

In keeping with the spirit, choose only one.

Alexander Krein Symphony No. 1 "After Scriabin."

[karlhenning]

Après Scriabine, le déluge.

[MDL]

Messiaen for me by a country mile. In his Webern book, Malcolm Hayes was fairly dismissive of Webern's Symphony, claiming that its comparative popularity stems from its being called a symphony, rather than, say, Two Pieces for Orchestra, and in his view it's far from Webern's greatest work. Although I like it, I find far more to savour in the Six Pieces for Orchestra or the Variations.

[karlhenning]

I think it's pretty groovy that Webern is ahead in a poll. Any poll.

[DavidW]

I think it's pretty groovy that Webern is ahead in a poll. Any poll.

If we had a poll who wrote the least amount of music he might pull ahead in that one too.

[karlhenning]

If we had a poll who wrote the least amount of music he might pull ahead in that one too.

Better him than Henning, je-je-je!

[Scarpia]

I think it's pretty groovy that Webern is ahead in a poll. Any poll.

Well, the romantic and neo-romantic vote was divided 7 ways, and Webern captured the entire AC vote.