Typical 4-mvmt symphony form: your LEAST favourite movement in general?

[nochmal]

Of course this is impossible and an over-generalization etc etc, but I'm curious about it nevertheless: In the repertoire you know which fits the traditional four-movement form, which "slot", summed over your entire experience, do you generally enjoy least? Given this somewhat vague question, you are obviously free to use the criterion of your choice. If you want to let sonatas or similar that fit the form count too – well, I can't stop you, can I?   

Sorry, btw, for the shouting in "LEAST favourite"; it is there to avoid confusion with the inevitable sister poll, which I have just posted. 

[Mirror Image]

This poll makes absolutely no sense. You want us to pick a favorite and least favorite movement from an imaginary symphony?

[Brian]

This poll makes absolutely no sense. You want us to pick a favorite and least favorite movement from an imaginary symphony?

Eh, makes sense to me, the first movement's always the first one to echo in my head constantly after I've been exposed to a symphony/concerto.

[nochmal]

It makes sense; it makes no sense. I fully acknowledge that.

The question was intended not from "an imaginary symphony", whatever that is (though if you'd like to vote in that way it's obv ok) – but about integrating/summing up from empirically experienced symphonies. Who am I to tell, though?

I'll be back with some own thoughts when we've got a few votes.

[Christo]

The Finale is often the best - but only by those few composers who mastered it; in general is it the weak spot of many 'classical' symphonies.

[Mirror Image]

It makes sense; it makes no sense. I fully acknowledge that.

The question was intended not from "an imaginary symphony", whatever that is (though if you'd like to vote in that way it's obv ok) – but about integrating/summing up from empirically experienced symphonies. Who am I to tell, though?

I'll be back with some own thoughts when we've got a few votes.

Apart of the problem with this thread and the main reason why I said it makes no sense is because many, many composers didn't organize their works the way you think. The form is not always so clear cut. What period of music are you referring to?

[Sammy]

The Finale is often the best - but only by those few composers who mastered it; in general is it the weak spot of many 'classical' symphonies.

I second that position.  So often, it seems as if the composer has nothing of substance or imagination left to say.

[nochmal]

We've got a few votes, so as promised I'll give my own very subjective comments. Posted in this thread rather than the other one for no other reason than that this has attracted the most activity.

Everything I say after this paragraph is meant as opinion, not as actual objective fact about the world itself (just in case anyone would be as naïve as to believe in such stuff when it comes to music).

Step A: Coarse sorting into top-two and bottom-two:

1st movement: Has meat, brings bacon. I'm sure I've been somewhat unfairly influenced by, like, All Music Writers Ever (Relevant in This Context), who typically spend four pages/paragraphs/sentences on the 1st movement of any given work and about three pages/paragraphs/sentences on the rest in total. Still, that comes from somewhere, and I can hear it too. The effort put into #1 usually sounds a bit above the rest. This is no wonder at all of course; see if the hits on any Rihanna or Coldplay album are placed about 3/4 into the tracklist. One wants to draw audience in from the start. Movement 1 goes to the top half.

Slow movement of the middle two: Has meat, but I can't taste it. This is entirely my own personal fault – I think of it as akin to my colourblindness – and also happens in popular music (of which I am an avid, or even rabid fan): once tempo goes below a certain limit (I'm reminded of the unit w the pop writer Tom Ewing invented to describe the point at which Westlife hits sound exactly the same), there is no identity to the work at all. Sadly, my w is well above even a moderate andante. Movement slow-of-the-middle-two goes to the bottom half.

Light-hearted movement of the middle two: Screw meat, I'm full. Is there cake? There is cake. Excellent. More when we get to the final. Movement lighthearted-of-the-middle-two goes to the top half

Final movement: I love that this is the only slot that has actually drawn any comment – because it is the one I usually don't Get At All. Christo said "The Finale is often the best - but only by those few composers who mastered it; in general is it the weak spot of many 'classical' symphonies" – I would nod vigorously at the last eleven words of that, but the promise of more has me intrigued. I'd love some suggestions, Christo. Still, I voted early, so I'm afraid Movement last goes to the bottom half.

Step B: Worst and Not Worst; Not Best and Best

Let's start with the bronze final; #slow vs #last. I nearly always enjoy movement #slow, even if it's a blank in my memory afterwards. Movement #last can be fun for a while, but uncomfortably often it ruins all goodwill it may have accumulated when at the halfway point – the HALFWAY POINT – it starts insisting on I. V. I. V. I. V. I. I. I. IIIII oh wait we've forgotten to use the timpani I. V. I. V. I. I. I. I. IIIIIIIIIIIIII. I. I. I. I. Now, I'm not particularly advanced in my harmonic ear, but this kind of thing drives me up the wall and makes me want to post BOULEZ WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG on online forums etc. Least favourite movement, by some distance, is the final movement.

Still inviting counterexamples, as per above.

Then the final between #first and #lighthearted. About #first, I've said a bit up there. About #lighthearted – I'm afraid it's a bit about CAKE. And it's also about baroque suites, and formalism, and many other things I love. Often, when I listen to a previously unknown symph/sonata/concerto/otherwork which appears to include this type of movement, my favourite anticipation is what will the trio be like? Man, I love the trio, and the schism when it turns up. But ok, I tried to make #lighthearted win this thing in my head, but if I was going to vote in good faith, it would have to be otherwise. Favourite movement, by a pinstripe, is the first movement.