Your Top Five Favorite American Symphonies

[Mirror Image]

Curses upon you and upon your children unto the seventh generation, blasphemer!



Barber withdrew 2. He did not withdraw 1. That tells you his opinion of their relative merits.

As I mentioned to you before, I do not care what Barber thought of the work. I love the work and love everything about it. That's enough for me.

[Sergeant Rock]

Even Homer nods.

Ives 2...the Great American Symphony. Perfectly captures the American character and spirit.

Sarge

[vandermolen]

Nice thread:

INPO:

Copland:Symphony 3
Schuman: Symphony 6
Diamond: Symphony 3
Bernstein: Jeremiah
Creston: Symphony 2

There are many others I rate very highly. Tomorrow's list might look different.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Ives 2...the Great American Symphony. Perfectly captures the American character and spirit.

Sarge

I almost put that one. But 4 is a greater achievement, I think.

[vandermolen]

I almost put that one. But 4 is a greater achievement, I think.

If it was orchestral works I would have included Three Places in New England.

[Sergeant Rock]

I almost put that one. But 4 is a greater achievement, I think.

It probably is but the Fourth will never be my favorite.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Curses upon you and upon your children unto the seventh generation, blasphemer!



Barber withdrew 2. He did not withdraw 1. That tells you his opinion of their relative merits.

Do any of Stravinsky's count? He was an American.

If you mean Naxos American Classics material then these jump out

Barber Symphony (sic)
Copland 3 -- but I like all of them almost as much.
Schuman 3

Others that might make a short list include some Pistons. I have a soft spot for Harris 3. Glass 8 or 9 maybe.

I do like the Shapero mentioned above.

Hard to believe you forgot the Mennin Eighth!

[Ken B]

Ives 2...the Great American Symphony. Perfectly captures the American character and spirit.

Sarge

Well, it captures a lot of American music I'll give you that.  Some of it written by Ives.

[Ken B]

Hard to believe you forgot the Mennin Eighth!

PTSD

[Daverz]

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-great-american-symphony/

I'll note there is a new recording of the Irving Fine Symphony on BMOP.  Excellent disc.


[asin]B00S6WC12E[/asin]

As I mentioned to you before, I do not care what Barber thought of the work. I love the work and love everything about it. That's enough for me.

Listening now (the Alsop recording), it's hard to understand all the tsuris about this fine work.  I think it's telling that the work was withdrawn 20 years later at the height of the post-war avante-garde ascendency, when Barber probably felt at his most defensive.

[Mirror Image]

Listening now (the Alsop recording), it's hard to understand all the tsuris about this fine work.  I think it's telling that the work was withdrawn 20 years later at the height of the post-war avante-garde ascendency, when Barber probably felt at his most defensive.

Sometimes composers don't know what's best for their own music. I find absolutely nothing with the music. In fact, it's trademark Barber. Full of that same haunting lyricism we find in all of his best music.

[Karl Henning]

Thread Duty!

In alphabetical order:

Bernstein, Symphony № 2, The Age of Anxiety
Flagello, Missa sinfonica
Gallagher, Symphony № 2, Ascendant
Mennin, Symphony № 7, Variations Symphony
Schuman, Symphony № 9, Le fosse ardeatine
Wuorinen, Symphony № 8, Theologoumena

[ritter]

No mention of Elliott Carter's A Symphony of three orchestras and  Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei?

[Karl Henning]

No mention of Elliott Carter's A Symphony of three orchestras and  Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei?

If I had extended my list to seven . . . .

[ritter]

If I had extended my list to seven . . . .

Wunderbar!

[Karl Henning]

Heard the BSO play the Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei back when, wonderful piece!

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

PTSD

LMAO - it's somewhere around here, must be?!@#

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Very good thread and I see there's much I need to listen to.  Subject to revision :

Ives 2
Fine (1962) - no one here can argue against this, it's a fine symphony.
Bernstein 2 Age of Anxiety
Diamond 4
Hanson 2 Romantic (can't be helped - reminds me of home and besides, I love it!)

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Oops, just realized that Diamond and Hanson are listed one atop the other; as they reviled each other, best to keep 'em separate, so

Diamond 4
Ives 2
Fine (1962) - no one here can argue against this, it's a fine symphony.
Bernstein 2 Age of Anxiety
Hanson 2 Romantic (can't be helped - reminds me of home and besides, I love it!)

[vandermolen]

Oops, just realized that Diamond and Hanson are listed one atop the other; as they reviled each other, best to keep 'em separate, so

Diamond 4
Ives 2
Fine (1962) - no one here can argue against this, it's a fine symphony.
Bernstein 2 Age of Anxiety
Hanson 2 Romantic (can't be helped - reminds me of home and besides, I love it!)

Sorry to hear they reviled each other. Nice to see Hanson included although my favourites are 3 and 6. Intersting that those who include Bernstein tend to choose 'The Age of Anxiety' rather than 'Jeremiah' which is my own favourite of his symphonies.