Your 5 favourite symphonic slow movements.

[madaboutmahler]

Which are your 5 favourite symphonic slow movements? From any composer?

Mine would be something like:
Mahler 6 Andante
Mahler 9 Finale
Elgar 1
Elgar 2
Tchaikovsky 6 Finale.

I'm sure I have left many out though.

And apologies if a thread like this has been created before.

[Mirror Image]

Oh, man this is hard Daniel! But here goes nothing...

(In no particular order)

1. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 - Passacaglia
2. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - Largo
3. Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 - Romanza
4. Honegger: Symphony No. 3 "Liturgique" - De profundis clamavi
5. Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24 - Andante Molto Sostenuto

[Florestan]

Tough one...

Off the top of my head:

1. Schubert: Andante from the Great Symphony in C major
2. Tchaikovsky: Andante cantabile from Symphony no. 5
3. Rachmaninoff: Adagio from Symphony no. 2
4. Mahler: 3rd movement from Symphony no. 1
5. Berlioz: Scene in the Fields from Symphonie Fantastique

(List subject to change at any time except no.1 as part of my all-time favorite symphony.)

[Sergeant Rock]

Schubert Symphony #5 B flat major Andante con moto

Mahler Symphony #6 A minor Andante moderato

Bruckner Symphony #8 C minor Adagio

Barber Symphony #1 Andante tranquilo

Vaughan Williams A London Symphony Lento (original 1913 version)


Sarge

[madaboutmahler]

Oh, man this is hard Daniel! But here goes nothing...

(In no particular order)

1. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 - Passacaglia
2. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - Largo
3. Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 - Romanza
4. Honegger: Symphony No. 3 "Liturgique" - De profundis clamavi
5. Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24 - Andante Molto Sostenuto

Great list, John. Although, I only know the first three.... you have reminded me that I still need to listen to my Karajan Honegger cd and that I still need to explore Myaskovsky's music some more! Thank you very much!

Very interesting lists posted already!

[DavidW]

There is a slow movement in Mahler 3 that I like, Gorecki 3, Beethoven 5, Barber's Adagio, does the urlicht count in the Mahler 2?  Regardless there is some beautiful music on that list. 0:)

[Sergeant Rock]

There is a slow movement in Mahler 3 that I like, Gorecki 3, Beethoven 5, Barber's Adagio, does the urlicht count in the Mahler 2?  Regardless there is some beautiful music on that list. 0:)

Urlicht counts but Barber's Adagio shouldn't because it's an orchestration of a string quartet movement. Which slow movement of M3? There's the fourth movement "O Mensch!" and the sixth movement, Langsam. Ruhevoll.

Sarge

[madaboutmahler]

There is a slow movement in Mahler 3 that I like, Gorecki 3, Beethoven 5, Barber's Adagio, does the urlicht count in the Mahler 2?  Regardless there is some beautiful music on that list. 0:)

Any Mahler that is slow is more than welcome on this thread! 

[TheGSMoeller]

Tough one...

Off the top of my head:

1. Schubert: Andante from the Great Symphony in C major
2. Tchaikovsky: Andante cantabile from Symphony no. 5
3. Rachmaninoff: Adagio from Symphony no. 2
4. Mahler: 3rd movement from Symphony no. 1
5. Berlioz: Scene in the Fields from Symphonie Fantastique

(List subject to change at any time except no.1 as part of my all-time favorite symphony.)

That Schubert andante is one of the best symphonic movements of all time, not just in the category of slow movements, great list, Florestan.

[madaboutmahler]

That Schubert andante is one of the best symphonic movements of all time, not just in the category of slow movements, great list, Florestan.

Certainly. I completely agree, Greg. It's one of my favourite symphonies altogether. Such a masterpiece.... and so great!

[TheGSMoeller]

Certainly. I completely agree, Greg. It's one of my favourite symphonies altogether. Such a masterpiece.... and so great!

Yes, sir.
Here's my list.

Haydn: Symphony No.44: Adagio
Beethoven: Symphony No.6 "Pastorale": Andante molto moto
Schubert: Symphony No.9: Andante
Ives: Symphony No.4: Finale, very slowly
Britten: Sinfonia Da Requiem: Requiem Aeternam

[North Star]

That Schubert andante is one of the best symphonic movements of all time, not just in the category of slow movements, great list, Florestan.

+1. That would be on my list, and the Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, too, probably.

Other choices:
DSCH - Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93 - I. Moderato
Janacek - Sinfonietta - Moderato

[Lisztianwagner]

Mine could be:

Mahler Symphony No.5, Adagietto
Beethoven Symphony No.9, Adagio molto e cantabile, andante moderato
Mahler Symphony No.9, Adagio
Rachmaninov Symphony No.2, Adagio
Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6, Finale

[Mirror Image]

Great list, John. Although, I only know the first three.... you have reminded me that I still need to listen to my Karajan Honegger cd and that I still need to explore Myaskovsky's music some more! Thank you very much!

Very interesting lists posted already!

Yeah, Daniel, I think you'll really enjoy Myaskovsky. He wrote 27 symphonies and there are many gorgeous moments, but the 24th has the most heartfelt cry to humanity I've heard in all of music or shall I say one of them anyway.

[Brian]

Schubert Symphony #5 B flat major Andante con moto

What an excellent, modest little treat that is.

[DavidW]

Urlicht counts but Barber's Adagio shouldn't because it's an orchestration of a string quartet movement. Which slow movement of M3? There's the fourth movement "O Mensch!" and the sixth movement, Langsam. Ruhevoll.

Sarge

O Mensch!

[DavidW]

Since Sarge has stricken Barber from my list I'm going with the final movement of Tchaikovsky's 6th.

[eyeresist]

Off the top of my head, and excluding all the great Mahler adagios:

Kalinnikov - Symphony No. 1 - II. Andante commodamente
Liszt - Heroide Funebre
Bruckner - Symphony No. 9 - III. Adagio. Langsam, feierlich
Elgar - Enigma Variations - IX. Adagio (Nimrod)
Khachaturian - Symphony No. 2 - III. Andante sostenuto

[PaulR]

Shostakovich 8 IV movement.
LvB 3 2nd movement
"Ulricht" from Mahler 2
Kalinnikov Symphony #1 2nd movement
Atterberg 2nd Movement Symphony #5

List probably will change when I wake up tomorrow/rested.

[Brahmsian]

Mine are:

Mahler's 6th
Beethoven's 3rd
Bruckner's 7th
Tchaikovsky's 5th
Schubert's 4th