Most Tragic Symphony (four choices allowed)

[vandermolen]

What are the symphonies most expressive of 'tragedy' - you can define this however you like. An absurd thread I know and not, I point out, deliberately timed to coincide with the American election or the UK Brexit fiasco.

My choices:

Tchaikovsky: Pathetique Symphony

Shostakovich: Symphony 4

Bruckner: Symphony 9

Vaughan Williams: Symphony 6

To me the Tchaikovsky reflects a personal tragedy and the Shostakovich a national one - I know this is all highly subjective.

Have fun. 

[springrite]

Shostakovich 11
Suk Asrael
Mahler 6
Brian 10

[Jo498]

What are the symphonies most expressive of 'tragedy' - you can define this however you like. An absurd thread I know and not, I point out, timed to coincide with the American election or the UK Brexit fiasco.

These are more farces than tragedies, no matter if repetitions or not.

[vandermolen]

Shostakovich 11
Suk Asrael
Mahler 6
Brian 10

Thanks Paul. What great choices! I'm jealous not to have chosen 'Asrael' myself - a most wonderful and moving symphony, which seems to end on a tentative and hard-won acceptance following his tragic double bereavement of Dvorak and his wife. Brian too ends end, in the words on Harold Truscott, I think, with a sense of hard-won though lasting victory. I nearly chose the Maher myself and the Shostakovich is one of my favourites too. 

[vandermolen]

These are more farces than tragedies, no matter if repetitions or not.

Good point. 

[Madiel]

Tchaikovsky 6 (Pathetique)
Sibelius 4

Um... that's all I've got right now.

[The new erato]

Is there anything more tragic than the Sibelius 8th?

[Madiel]

Is there anything more tragic than the Sibelius 8th?

Ha. I thought we were aiming for tragedy IN the music, not about the music.

[Sergeant Rock]

Vaughan Williams 4
Mahler 6
Dvorak 7
Schmidt 4

[North Star]

Is there anything more tragic than the Sibelius 8th?

All the surviving Segerstam symphonies perhaps? 

[ahinton]

All the surviving Segerstam symphonies perhaps? 

They do all survive, don't they?!...

Hmmm - only four.

Well, OK:
Tchaikovsky 6
Shostakovich 4 or 13 (can't make up my mind which)
Pettersson 9
Mahler 6

But this is like choosing just eight discs to take to a desert island...

[Androcles]

Bruckner 7 - with the slow movement tribute to Wagner
Miaskovsky 6 - to me the end reflects a deeply personal sense of loss with the Orthodox hymn at the end, his father killed by the Bolsheviks etc.
Shostakovich 8 - the tragedy of Stalin's regime
Elgar 2 - the loss of the liberal age of pre- WWI

[Turner]

Maybe

Mahler 9
Mahler 10
Pettersson 6
Tchaikovsky 6

[Brian]

Nobody's voted for Brahms 4??!?!?!

[NikF]

Nobody's voted for Brahms 4??!?!?!

Yeah, it was going to be one of mine.

[Sergeant Rock]

Nobody's voted for Brahms 4??!?!?!

I almost did...but then I thought better of it when I imagined Karl's response 

Sarge 

[Jay F]

Tchaikovsky 6
Shostakovich, Babi Yar
Beethoven 7, allegretto (it was used to great effect in a movie I barely remember that took place in Europe in WWII).
Mahler 9

[vandermolen]

A number of choices include my favourite symphonies:

Miaskovsky Symphony 6 and I agree about it reflecting the tragedy of his father murdered by the Bolsheviks.

Pettersson Symphony 6 'the long struggle towards the sunrise'

Schmidt Symphony 4 another great choice.

Thanks for ALL the responses.

[Ken B]

Is there anything more tragic than the Sibelius 8th?

Yes. Turangalila.




I second Orfeo, Tchaik 6 and Sibelius 4, which has to be the bleakest. Also Gorecki, 3 (Sorrowful Songs).

[springrite]

Beethoven 7, allegretto (it was used to great effect in a movie I barely remember that took place in Europe in WWII).

Absolutely!