Most beautiful opening of a symphony (three allowed)

[kyjo]

Some more:

Elgar 1
Mendelssohn 3
Arnold 2

[Mirror Image]

Same here - it's my least favorite of his numbered symphonies (although I like the opening and the beginning of the finale). I must keep listening, though...

It's my favorite Sibelius symphony.

[pjme]

All the mighty ones have been mentioned (Brahms nr 4, Mahler 1...Hindemith / Mathis) . I add a few personal favorites:

Matthijs Vermeulen:

symphony nr 3  "Thrène et péan" - mystery, sadness, for me something like an "appel interstellaire" (cfr. Messiaen): https://youtu.be/FmitQU8W3q4

Symphony nr. 4 "Les victoires"  -  https://youtu.be/VfrXYnFLhz0 ( Rotterdam PhO / Gergiev - live) - incantatory,


Honegger : symphony nr 5

Rautavaara: symphony 8 +1

[vandermolen]

All the mighty ones have been mentioned (Brahms nr 4, Mahler 1...Hindemith / Mathis) . I add a few personal favorites:

Matthijs Vermeulen:

symphony nr 3  "Thrène et péan" - mystery, sadness, for me something like an "appel interstellaire" (cfr. Messiaen): https://youtu.be/FmitQU8W3q4

Symphony nr. 4 "Les victoires"  -  https://youtu.be/VfrXYnFLhz0 ( Rotterdam PhO / Gergiev - live) - incantatory,


Honegger : symphony nr 5

Rautavaara: symphony 8 +1

+1 for Honegger's Symphony 5 (a very underrated work) and Rautavaara's Symphony 8 - in fact I wish that the opening bars repeated for longer, as they do in Symphony 7.

[André]

All the mighty ones have been mentioned (Brahms nr 4, Mahler 1...Hindemith / Mathis) . I add a few personal favorites:

Matthijs Vermeulen:

symphony nr 3  "Thrène et péan" - mystery, sadness, for me something like an "appel interstellaire" (cfr. Messiaen): https://youtu.be/FmitQU8W3q4

Symphony nr. 4 "Les victoires"  -  https://youtu.be/VfrXYnFLhz0 ( Rotterdam PhO / Gergiev - live) - incantatory,


Honegger : symphony nr 5

Rautavaara: symphony 8 +1

Will have to relisten to Vermeulen's symphonies. I have often found him to be as engaging as off-putting. His kind of modernism is indeed special.