Your 2 or 3 Favorite Symphonies

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, I'm not going to stick to 2 or 3 favorite symphonies because I simply can't make those kinds of cuts to other favorites, which is why I made a 'unwieldy, worthless' list. FYI, every list is worthless including yours, Sarge. These kinds of threads shouldn't be taken so seriously. I couldn't answer the OP's question because it seemed ridiculous for me to give a limited numbered answer.

[Brian]

I cannot understand you (or MI). It is a small number, but how can you not be able to pick a top 2 or 3 (or at least something close to it)?  Why can't you narrow it down? I don't see much use in a long list (not that the question will lead us to a deep conversation, but a short list is at least manageable for those interested). if you have 50 favorites, well then none of them are favorites.

My 2 favorites:
Tchaikovsky 5
Schumann 4

Very, very strong disagreement. Sure, maybe I don't love all of a hypothetical top 50 equally, but at some point when you get to the very top of the list, it's not only "apples and oranges" musically, it's also different kinds of love, or different ways the music speaks to me. Like, how can I compare my response to Sibelius 5 to my response to Beethoven 5? Or Prokofiev 7 to Mozart 39? Unpossible.

So at that point, it's no longer about choosing 2 or 3 pieces over other pieces - it's about choosing 2 or 3 cognitive/emotional responses over other cognitive/emotional responses. So do you choose three really "inspiring" pieces? Or a joyous one and a tragic one? Or stylistic diversity - Haydn and Holmboe? When I said Beethoven 7 and Brahms 4, those two pieces are definitely in my top 20, but I chose them because in many ways they are opposites.

[Mirror Image]

I cannot understand you (or MI). It is a small number, but how can you not be able to pick a top 2 or 3 (or at least something close to it)?  Why can't you narrow it down? I don't see much use in a long list (not that the question will lead us to a deep conversation, but a short list is at least manageable for those interested). if you have 50 favorites, well then none of them are favorites.

My 2 favorites:
Tchaikovsky 5
Schumann 4

What baffles me is how someone can narrow down their choices to a mere three or four? Like I said in another post, it's impossible for me to do and would be excruciatingly difficult for me as I always would feel that I left out other favorites that deserve as much mention as the three I chose. I have a wide palette and in keeping with this I chose all of the symphonies that have meant a lot to me over the years. Like I also said, I think it's really a matter of not taking things so seriously. I didn't hurt anyone with my picks nor did any wars start because I ignored the OP's request. It would be nice if people here would just get over it. So, let's just move on, shall we?

[andolink]

Mahler 6
Beethoven 8
Brahms 3
Holmboe 8
Sibelius 4
Nielsen 5
Haydn 40
Mozart 38
Nørgård 4
Rubbra 6
Vaughan Williams 4

[Sergeant Rock]

Yeah, I'm not going to stick to 2 or 3 favorite symphonies because I simply can't make those kinds of cuts to other favorites, which is why I made a 'unwieldy, worthless' list. FYI, every list is worthless including yours, Sarge.

Since I gave the op what he asked for (pretty close anyway) I assume it will not be worthless to him. I don't know what he'll do with your list though...but if he likes it, I'll gladly provide my own top 100+  I have nothing better to do today (well, I must feed Mrs. Rock...but after that...).

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

What baffles me is how someone can narrow down their choices to a mere three or four?

Choosing three or four I find impossible too. But six, that I can do   

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn 40

Now that is an intriguing and quite individual choice. My Top 30 Haydn Symphonies include 39 and 41 but 40 missed the boat. I'm going to listen to that this evening and see what I've missed.

Sarge

[some guy]

You obviously lack imagination 

I left myself wide open with that one, didn't I.

[some guy]

...if you have 50 favorites, well then none of them are favorites.

So close to enlightenment, grasshopper!

[USMC1960s]

Sergeant Rock: ""Since I gave the op what he asked for (pretty close anyway) I assume it will not be worthless to him. I don't know what he'll do with your list though...but if he likes it, I'll gladly provide my own top 100+  I have nothing better to do today (well, I must feed Mrs. Rock...but after that...)."""
-----------------------------------------
Thank you for your responses, whether it's your favorite 2 or 3 or 75. This helps me "broaden my horizons" re classical music---there are many composers and their symphonies that I would not have looked at (e.g. Brahms 4). I would not have known that Number 4 is perhaps a little more popular among the members here than, say, number 5. I respect the opinions of members here. I find the members extremely knowledgeable. Many of you have pointed me in directions I would not have taken (without your input here) as far as exploring classical music in more depth.

[Ken B]

I was just going to say how much I liked John's interpretation of "2 or 3."

Heck. I'll just do it, anyway. I really liked John's interpretation of "2 or 3."

I'm gonna ask for a raise. A small one!  "2 or 3 per cent should be enough ...." 

Incidentally there's a story about the mathematician G Hardy. He gave a lecture and claimed some enormous formula "was to a good approximation, 5". He was asked what is a good approximation of 5. "Any real number not equal to 5". So John's in good company.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Some of my favorite symphonists are Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, Sibelius, and Nielsen. For Shostakovich, my favorites remain Nos. 4-11 & 15. For Vaughan Williams, my favorites are 3, 5, 6, & 8. My favorites from Sibelius are 4-7. For Nielsen, I always turn to the 3-6. Outside of these symphonies, here are some favorites (in no particular order):

Schnittke: 3-5, 8
Prokofiev: 2, 5-7
Honegger: 2, 3, 5
Martinu: all of them (no joke!)
Mahler: 4, 5, 7, 9
Bruckner: 4-6, 9
Brahms: all of them, esp. 4
Dvorak: 7-9
Roussel: 3
Walton: 1
Elgar: 2
Casella: 3
Myaskovsky: 20-27
Weinberg: 3-6, 17
Tchaikovsky: 5, 6
Milhaud: 6
Holmboe: 3
Pettersson: 7
Scriabin: 3
W. Schuman: 3, 5, 8
Diamond: 3, 4
Ives: Holidays, 4
Copland: 3
Barber: both symphonies
Chavez: 1, 2, 4
Stravinsky: all of them
Hartmann: all of them but still having trouble with the 8th
Langgaard: 6
Webern: Symphony (only symphony he composed)
Schoenberg: Chamber Symphonies 1 & 2

Actually that's a very interesting list, and I would enjoy seeing this list, along with recommended recordings, posted in the Recordings forum (or here, whatever).

[USMC1960s]

It is very interesting indeed----there are 15 composers I never heard of. Things like this help me tremendously in exploring classical music. Thanks for posting this.

[USMC1960s]

By the way, I see exactly what Mirror Image is getting at re unable to narrow down favorite symphonies to just two or three----I should have just asked What Are Your Favorite Symphonies (whether 2 or 100).

[Brahmsian]

Beethoven - 3, 6, 7
Brahms - 2
Bruckner - 6, 7, 9
Berlioz - symphonie fantastique, Harold en Italie
Dvorak - 4
Mahler - 6, 7, 9
Mendelssohn - 3, 5
Mozart - 39
Prokofiev - 1, 4, 5
Tchaikovsky - 3, 5, 6
Shostakovich - 4, 5, 8, 14
Sibelius - 2, 5, 6
Haydn - 84, 103
Schumann - 1, 4
Schubert - 4, 6, 8 unfinished
Vaughan Williams - 5, 6

[Ken B]

By the way, I see exactly what Mirror Image is getting at re unable to narrow down favorite symphonies to just two or three----I should have just asked What Are Your Favorite Symphonies (whether 2 or 100).

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, never, never ever.
The server is stressed already. If you ask GMGers for unlimited recommendations ...

[Ken B]

John's recommendations this month

[Gurn Blanston]

John's recommendations this month

Ah, I see you've been to visit Harry. Interesting place, eh?

[USMC1960s]

Still laughing at Ken B's response of NO NO NO

[North Star]

Ah, I see you've been to visit Harry. Interesting place, eh?

That's not Harry's place - see those empty shelves? 

Assorted recommendations not mentioned so far (I think):

Dvořák No. 6
Copland No. 3
Lutosławski No. 3
Górecki No. 3 Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

And two almost-symphonies:
Janáček Sinfonietta
Rakhmaninov Symphonic Dances