List favourite symphonies 1-10 by different composers:

[Karl Henning]

Those Martinu and Langgaard works would also be among my favorites. Great to see them.

I see that I managed to omit Vaughan Williams, but this is my own conundrum.  My № 2, 3 & 4 berths are practically lifetime appointments.  I could conceivably switch A Sea Symphony in for № 1, but I hate to leave Сергей Васильевич out in the cold.  There is something of a rock/paper/scissors game among RVW, Sibelius & Martinů for the № 5 & 6 berths.  Much as I love the RVW Seventh, Eighth & Ninth, I don't quite see them nudging their way in.

[ritter]

Let's give this a try:

1. Walton
2. Krenek
3. Enesco
4. Schmidt
5. Sessions
6. Mahler
7. Beethoven
8. Schubert ("traditional" numeration, i.e. Unfinshed Symphony)
9. Bruckner

Sorry, no No. 10 (using Haydn as joker seemed unrespectful to me)

[Mirror Image]

1 - Schumann
2 - Mahler
3 - Beethoven
4 - Brahms
5 - Vaughan Williams
6 - Tchaikovsky
7 - Sibelius
8 - Dvorak
9 - Mahler
10 - Shostakovich

You can only use Mahler once, Karlo.

[North Star]

You can only use Mahler once, Karlo.

Hm, don't know how that happened.. here's the edited list:

1 - Schumann
2 - Brahms
3 - Beethoven
4 - Nielsen
5 - Vaughan Williams
6 - Tchaikovsky
7 - Sibelius
8 - Dvorak
9 - Mahler
10 - Shostakovich

[Karl Henning]

A fine list, to be sure, Karlo!

[Jo498]

1 Brahms
2 Schumann
3 Beethoven
4 Mendelssohn
5 Nielsen
6 Bruckner
7 Dvorak
8 Schubert (b minor or C major, either is fine)
9 Mahler
10 Shostakovich

[North Star]

A fine list, to be sure, Karlo!

Cheers, Karl!

[Brian]

1 - Mahler
2 - Borodin
3 - Beethoven
4 - Brahms
5 - Vaughan Williams
6 - Martinu
7 - Sibelius
8 - Dvorak
9 - Schubert (Old Numbering, in C)
10 - Shostakovich

[GioCar]

Ok, here's my list

1- Berio
2- Mahler
3- Mendelssohn
4- Brahms
5- Nielsen
6- Prokofiev
7- Schubert
8- Bruckner
9- Beethoven
10- Weinberg

[amw]

1 - Martinů  [Schoenberg]
2 - Stravinsky Psalms   [Carter 3 Orchestras]
3 - Brahms   [Beethoven]
4 - Rubbra    [Sibelius]
5 - Nielsen    [Vaughan Williams]
6 - Bruckner   [Dvořák]
7 - Dvořák     [Schubert Unfinished]
8 - Schubert C major  [Schnittke]
9 - Beethoven   [Bruckner]
10 - Henze      [Rubbra]

[Wanderer]

1 - Brahms (Elgar, Beethoven, Mahler, Schmidt) (Vaughan Williams)
2 - Mendelssohn (Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, Elgar) (Sibelius)
3 - Beethoven (Bruckner, Nielsen, Sibelius, Mahler) (Dvořák)
4 - Nielsen (Bruckner, Brahms, Beethoven, Mahler) (Schumann)
5 - Bruckner (Sibelius, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Nielsen)
6 - Mahler (Beethoven)
7 - Sibelius (Beethoven, Vaughan Williams)
8 - Dvořák (Mahler, Bruckner, Schubert, Beethoven)
9 - Schubert (Beethoven, Bruckner, Mahler)
10 - Shostakovich (Mahler)

[vandermolen]

I'm (genuinely) surprised by all the responses to this thread and have enjoyed reading them all.

[aesthetic]

1 - Tchaikovsky
2 - Rachmaninov
3 - Mendelssohn
4 - Brahms
5 - Shostakovich
6 - Beethoven
7 - Sibelius
8 - Bruckner
9 - Mahler
10 - Schubert (D. 936a)

[SymphonicAddict]

1 - Brian
2 - Sibelius (or Stenhammar or Khachaturian or Vaughan Williams) (the most difficult choice)
3 - Nielsen (or Glière or Atterberg)
4 - Brahms
5 - Tchaikovsky (or Prokofiev)
6 - Mahler
7 - Vaughan Williams
8 - Dvorák (or Shostakovich)
9 - Schubert (or Bruckner)
10 - Shostakovich

[NJ Joe]

1. Brahms
2. Sibelius
3. Beethoven
4. Tchaikovsky
5. Vaughan Williams
6. Mahler
7. Schubert
8. Bruckner
9. Dvorak
10. Shostakovich

[Mirror Image]

I'm (genuinely) surprised by all the responses to this thread and have enjoyed reading them all.

+1

[Trout]

1. Mahler
2. Prokofiev
3. Atterberg
4. Ives
5. Schnittke
6. Beethoven
7. Sibelius
8. Bruckner
9. Dvořák
10. Shostakovich

[Mirror Image]

Here goes nothing:

1 -   Martinů
2 -   Rachmaninov
3 -   Nielsen
4 -   Sibelius
5 -   Vaughan Williams
6 -   Mahler
7 -   Rautavaara
8 -   Bruckner
9 -   Dvořák
10 - Shostakovich

If I'm allowed to make a secondary list, it would look like the following:

1 -   Walton
2 -   Elgar
3 -   Copland
4 -   Szymanowski
5 -   Nielsen
6 -   Vaughan Williams
7 -   Sibelius
8 -   Dvořák
9 -   Mahler
10 - Shostakovich

[Mirror Image]

Symphony 1: Walton
Symphony 2: A London Symphony (1913) by Vaughan Williams
Symphony 3: David Diamond
Symphony 4: Shostakovich
Symphony 5: Bax
Symphony 6: Miaskovsky
Symphony 7: Sibelius
Symphony 8: Havergal Brian
Symphony 9: Mahler
Symphony 10:Rubbra

Therefore Walton's First Symphony is my favourite first symphony, VW's 'A London Symphony' is my favourite second symphony. Get it? Stupid idea I know. 
You can only choose a composer once.

Love your choice of David Diamond here, Jeffrey. I was just listening to his 3rd the other night and agree that it's absolutely marvelous from start-to-finish. I'd probably have chosen it myself, but there were too many other thirds standing in the way.

[vandermolen]

Love your choice of David Diamond here, Jeffrey. I was just listening to his 3rd the other night and agree that it's absolutely marvelous from start-to-finish. I'd probably have chosen it myself, but there were too many other thirds standing in the way.

Thanks John - it's an unsung 'Great American Third Symphony'. American composers always write great third symphonies  ( actually that sounds like something Snoopy might say in Charlie Brown ( )
Anyway, yes it's great - it made me write a fan letter to the composer via Delos many years ago - although I gather he was supposed to be a bit 'difficult' he sent me a very sweet reply which I treasure. Well John, if you can do list No.2 so can I - especially as I am the supremo behind this thread. So, here goes:

No.1 Klaus Egge
No.2 Glazunov
No.3 Honegger 
No.4 Braga Santos
No.5 Weinberg
No.6 Vaughan Williams
No.7 Roy Harris
No.8 Vagn Holmboe
No.9 Bruckner
No. 10 Havergal Brian

Leaving out Copland's Third and Nielsen's Fifth was difficult.