Favourite Symphony 2

[Brian]

Schubert (maybe my favorite of the early 6)

It's my favorite of the early 6, so you would not be alone. (I'm also keen on 3 and 4.)

[vandermolen]

I really like Piston's 2nd, but I don't remember it well. I should hear it again soon.

Off-topic (sorry!), but his 1st VC is awesome! I might order the sheet music soon so I can try and learn it.

I wish I had your talent! Must listen to the VC No.1.

[NJ Joe]

Unquestionably Sibelius.

Okay, I always said I'd never quote myself but...

Yesterday my Haitink Symphony box arrived.  The first thing I listened to was Mahler 2 and it knocked my socks off! In a way that the other 2's I've heard haven't.  I will be heading out to my back yard shortly to listen again. 

So I will amend my prior post thus:

Unquestionably Sibelius, with Schumann, Piston (thanks for the reminder, MI), and Mahler not far behind.

[EigenUser]

I wish I had your talent! Must listen to the VC No.1.

Note:

I really like Piston's 2nd, but I don't remember it well. I should hear it again soon.

Off-topic (sorry!), but his 1st VC is awesome! I might order the sheet music soon so I can try and learn it.

I'm pretty rusty on the violin. Yesterday was the first time I played since January (1st violin parts to some Haydn symphonies and Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht). Not as bad as I thought I'd sound, but not great. I need something new to get me playing again.

[Wanderer]

So far:


8  Mahler
7  Elgar
5  Brahms
4  Sibelius
4  Schumann
3  Rachmaninov
2  Bruckner
2  Ives
2  Schmidt
2  Schubert
2  Piston
1  Vaughan Williams
1  Tubin
1  Creston
1  Havergal Brian
1  Mendelssohn
1  Martinů
1  Dvořák
1  Berlioz
1  Weill
1  Schnittke
1  Hanson
1  Barber
1  Diamond
1  Prokofiev
1  Honegger
1  Chavez
1  Nielsen
1  Beethoven

[North Star]

Another vote for Prokofiev

[Drasko]

Mahler, Rachmaninov, Bruckner, Piston, Vaughan Williams, Weill, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin, Ropartz, Chavez

[vandermolen]

Mahler, Rachmaninov, Bruckner, Piston, Vaughan Williams, Weill, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin, Ropartz, Chavez

Great choices and from Wanderer too.

[Karl Henning]

Another vote for Prokofiev

And another.

[Dax]

Liszt Dante
Vermeulen
Prokofiev
Hanson

[jochanaan]

One thing you can say about Second Symphonies is that they are a varied lot!  Sometimes Seconds find the composer "finding their stride" and mastering the craft (Bruckner, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky); but more often composers use their Seconds as a chance to stretch themselves or take different directions (Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, Shostakovich).

I doubt I could pick a favorite Second if I tried, the competition is so fierce.

[Jubal Slate]

8  Mahler
7  Elgar

What recordings do you like for the Mahler and Elgar 2?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Prokofiev
Tchaikovsky
Martinů
Sibelius
Brahms

[Brian]

What recordings do you like for the Mahler and Elgar 2?

I can't speak for Wanderer, only for me, but for Elgar 2:
LSO/Tate - very slow, brooding, dramatic, like Celibidache conducting Elgar
LPO/Slatkin - more mainstream, but very good; exciting playing; available for super cheap
Halle/Barbirolli - another nice choice to round out the top three

[Wanderer]

What recordings do you like for the Mahler and Elgar 2?

My absolute favourite Mahler 2 is Segerstam/DNRSO, followed by the live Abbado from the Lucerne festival. There is quite a number of good and very good ones that I'm fond of (e.g. Boulez, Chailly, Sinopoli, Bernstein DG, etc.) but I keep returning to these two.

As for Elgar 2: Boult/LPO (my first choice, superb and devastating), A.Davis/Philharmonia, Elder/Hallé, Sinopoli/Philharmonia, Slatkin/LPO for the top 5. I also like Barbirolli (slightly more the Philharmonia than the Hallé rendition) and Tate that Brian mentioned, as well as a number of others. The only truly horrible rendition I've encountered is Solti. He clearly tried to emulate Barbirolli but, lacking the latter's everything, he just sped things up to an incoherent mess. Avoid that one like the plague.

[amw]

today's list

Beethoven
Brahms
Schumann
Borodin
Hindemith (in E-flat)
Berwald (Capricieuse)
Vermeulen (Prélude à la nouvelle journée)

[Jubal Slate]

Thanks to Brian and Wanderer.

[Jo498]

I can never remember which one of the Berwalds I like best but I completely forgot about the Borodin which is one of the best russian symphonies of its time, very nice piece.

[Brian]

Updated my list to include Borodin, as well.

[Ken B]

Updated my list to include Borodin, as well.

I completely forgot about that one!