Your Top 20 Favorite 20th Century Orchestral Works

[Mirror Image]

This is quite difficult for me, but here's my list (in no particular order):

Sibelius: Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63
Nielsen: Symphony No. 3 "Sinfonia Espansiva", Op. 27, FS 60
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2, Sz. 95
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5
Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op 99
Ives: Symphony No. 4
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Schoenberg: Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16
Takemitsu: A String Around Autumn
Martinů: Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani, H. 271
Szymanowski: Symphony No. 4, "Symphonie concertante", Op. 60
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6
Schnittke: Peer Gynt
Janáček: Sinfonietta
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the left-hand
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27
Pärt: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Copland: Symphony No. 3
Hartmann: Symphony No. 6

[TheGSMoeller]

Good, I needed something to do this evening. 

Purely orchestral? I see some vocal works in our list, John.

[Mirror Image]

Good, I needed something to do this evening. 

Purely orchestral? I see some vocal works in our list, John.

Hah! No, it doesn't have to be purely orchestral, Greg, but the works you choose should have at least some kind of 'orchestral outlook' to them if that makes any sense.

[Dee Sharp]

These lists are always interesting to construct. I left out anything remotely choral and of course opera, but thought concertos and short works were fair game. In the spirit of fairness, I picked only one piece per composer.

Barber - Violin Concerto
Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra
Britten - 4 Sea Interludes
Copland - Symphony No. 3
Debussy - La Mer
Hovhaness - Symphony No. 2
Hanson - Symphony No. 2
Ives - The Unanswered Question
Mahler - Symphony No. 9
Poulenc - Concerto for 2 Pianos
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet
Ravel - Piano Concerto in G
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.  3
Resphigi - Pines of Rome
Schoenberg - Violin Concerto
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10
Sibelius - Violin Concerto
Strauss - Eine Alpensinfonie
Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending

[Mirror Image]

We have a few overlapping favorites, Dee Sharp. Great choices and, yes, the 'one work per composer' idea is certainly what I had in mind, although I didn't explicitly say so of course.

[vandermolen]

Where to start?!!! ::

Well, here goes:

Shostakovich: Symphony 4
Copland: Symphony 3
Vaughan Williams: Symphony 6
Sibelius: Tapiola
Miaskovsky: Symphony 6
William Schuman: Symphony 6
Norgard: Symphony 1 'Austera'
Braga Santos: Symphony 4
Bax: Symphony 3
Kabelac: Mystery of Time
Moeran: Symphony
Langgaard: Symphony 4 'Fall of the Leaf'
Brian: Symphony 8
Nielsen: Symphony 5
Rubbra: Symphony 4
Tubin: Symphony 2 'Legendary'
Honegger: Symphony 3 'Liturgique'
Egge: Symphony 1
Gliere: Symphony 3 'Ilya Murometz'
Walton: Symphony 1

[Turner]

A sketchy version, only 1 work per composer, including concertos but not vocal works, yet trying to secure some variety stylistically:

- Mahler: Symphony 10
- Stravinsky: Sacre du Printemps
- Sibelius: Symphony 4
- Janacek: Taras Bulba
- Elgar: Violin Concerto
- Bartok: Music for Strings ...
- Ravel: Daphnis & Chloe
- Nielsen: Symphony 4
- Langgaard: Symphony 4
- Prokofiev: Piano Concerto 4
- Vaughan-Williams: Symphony 4
- Medtner: Piano Concerto 3
- Martinu: Symphony 6
- Shostakovich: Cello Concerto 1
- Pettersson: Symphony 8
- Henze: Symphony 1
- Takemitsu: Arc
- Pärt: Tabula Rasa
- Schnittke: Viola Concerto
- Nørgård: Piano Concerto, In Due Tempi

And with no concertante works:

- Mahler: Symphony 10
- Stravinsky: Sacre du Printemps
- Sibelius: Symphony 4
- Janacek: Taras Bulba
- Elgar: Symphony 1
- Bartok: Music for Strings ...
- Ravel: Daphnis & Chloe
- Nielsen: Symphony 4
- Langgaard: Symphony 4
- Prokofiev: Symphony 6
- Vaughan-Williams: Symphony 4
- Martinu: Symphony 6
- Shostakovich: Symphony 8
- Pettersson: Symphony 8
- Henze: Symphony 1
- Honegger: Symphony 3
- Hindemith: Symphony, Harmonie der Welt
- Pärt: Symphony 1
- Schnittke: Symphony 1
- Nørgård: Symphony 5

[North Star]

In no particular order

Sibelius            The Tempest
Ravel               Concerto for the Left Hand
Prokofiev         Romeo & Juliet
Mahler            Das Lied von der Erde
Schoenberg      5 Pieces for Orchestra

Shostakovich         Symphony No. 4
Stravinsky            Agon
Rakhmaninov         Symphonic Dances
Nielsen               Flute Concerto
Berg                  Violin Concerto

Vaughan Williams      Tallis Fantasia
Elgar                        Music-Makers
Bartók                     Music for Strings, Percussion, & Celesta
Debussy                  Images
Tippett                   Double Concerto

Janáček            Violin Concerto
Pärt                  Tabula Rasa
Martinů            Double Concerto for 2 str orch, pf & timp
Varèse            Ameriques
Atterberg         Symphony No. 3 ‘Västkustbilder’

[vandermolen]

In no particular order

Sibelius            The Tempest
Ravel               Concerto for the Left Hand
Prokofiev         Romeo & Juliet
Mahler            Das Lied von der Erde
Schoenberg      5 Pieces for Orchestra

Shostakovich         Symphony No. 4
Stravinsky            Agon
Rakhmaninov         Symphonic Dances
Nielsen               Flute Concerto
Berg                  Violin Concerto

Vaughan Williams      Tallis Fantasia
Elgar                        Music-Makers
Bartók                     Music for Strings, Percussion, & Celesta
Debussy                  Images
Tippett                   Double Concerto

Janáček            Violin Concerto
Pärt                  Tabula Rasa
Martinů            Double Concerto for 2 str orch, pf & timp
Varèse            Ameriques
Atterberg         Symphony No. 3 'Västkustbilder'

I could easily have included the Atterberg (or his Symphony 5 'Funebre') and Sibelius's 'The Tempest' in my list.

[Karl Henning]

First, all hail the wise fruit:

[Mirror Image]

First, all hail the wise fruit:

Ah come on, Karl! We all know you can do this!

[Karl Henning]

You see, we crossed 

[North Star]

That said, I can certainly rattle off 20 enduring favorites:

Brahms, Symphony № 3 in F, Op.90
Dvořák, Symphony № 8 in G, Op.88
Haydn, Symphony № 80 in d minor
Mozart, Symphony № 40 in g minor, K.550
Beethoven, Symphony № 8 in A, Op.97
Liszt, Héroïde funèbre, S.102

Ummm.... 20th century?  0:)

[Karl Henning]

Ummm.... 20th century?  0:)

Oh, mortification!

Back to the drawing board . . . .

[Mirror Image]

You see, we crossed 

So we did, but I'm glad you'll exclude the works that aren't 20th Century for your next round.

[Karl Henning]

Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra
Copland, Symphonic Ode
Debussy, Images
Elgar, Symphony № 1 in A^b, Op.55
Hindemith, Konzertmusik for strings and brass, Op.50
Holmboe, Sinfonia In Memoriam
Janáček, Taras Bulba
Kabeláč, Mystery of Time, Op.31
Lajtha, Symphony № 9, Op.67
Langgaard, Sinfonia interna
Lutosławski, Concerto for Orchestra
Martinů, The Parables, H.367
Nielsen, Saga-Drøm, Op.39
Prokofiev, L'enfant prodigue
Rakhmaninov, Остров мёртвых, Op.29
Ravel, Alborada del gracioso
Schoenberg, Pelleas und Melisande, Op.5
Shostakovich, Symphony № 10 in e minor, Op.93
Sibelius, Öinen ratsastus ja auringonnousu, Op.55
Stravinsky, Le baiser de la fée

[TheGSMoeller]

Janáček, Taras Bulba

Prokofiev, L'enfant prodigue

Bravo!!!

[Mirror Image]

Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra
Copland, Symphonic Ode
Debussy, Images
Elgar, Symphony № 1 in A^b, Op.55
Hindemith, Konzertmusik for strings and brass, Op.50
Holmboe, Sinfonia In Memoriam
Janáček, Taras Bulba
Kabeláč, Mystery of Time, Op.31
Lajtha, Symphony № 9, Op.67
Langgaard, Sinfonia interna
Lutosławski, Concerto for Orchestra
Martinů, The Parables, H.367
Nielsen, Saga-Drøm, Op.39
Prokofiev, L'enfant prodigue
Rakhmaninov, Остров мёртвых, Op.29
Ravel, Alborada del gracioso
Schoenberg, Pelleas und Melisande, Op.5
Shostakovich, Symphony № 10 in e minor, Op.93
Sibelius, Öinen ratsastus ja auringonnousu, Op.55
Stravinsky, Le baiser de la fée

Wonderful list, Karl.

[vandermolen]

Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra
Copland, Symphonic Ode
Debussy, Images
Elgar, Symphony № 1 in A^b, Op.55
Hindemith, Konzertmusik for strings and brass, Op.50
Holmboe, Sinfonia In Memoriam
Janáček, Taras Bulba
Kabeláč, Mystery of Time, Op.31
Lajtha, Symphony № 9, Op.67
Langgaard, Sinfonia interna
Lutosławski, Concerto for Orchestra
Martinů, The Parables, H.367
Nielsen, Saga-Drøm, Op.39
Prokofiev, L'enfant prodigue
Rakhmaninov, Остров мёртвых, Op.29
Ravel, Alborada del gracioso
Schoenberg, Pelleas und Melisande, Op.5
Shostakovich, Symphony № 10 in e minor, Op.93
Sibelius, Öinen ratsastus ja auringonnousu, Op.55
Stravinsky, Le baiser de la fée

Yes, great list Karl and impressive linguistic skills (which Sibelius and Rachmaninov work is that?). I think I should have chosen 'Symphonic Ode' by Copland too - a wonderfully implacable, monolithic score. Langgaard's 'Sinfonia Interna' has probably the most beautiful and poignant opening of any work I know. I listened to the work right through earlier today. Also +1 for Martinu's 'Parables' another lovely score.

[North Star]

Yes, great list Karl and impressive linguistic skills (which Sibelius and Rachmaninov work is that?). I think I should have chosen 'Symphonic Ode' by Copland too - a wonderfully implacable, monolithic score. Langgaard's 'Sinfonia Interna' has probably the most beautiful and poignant opening of any work I know. I listened to the work right through earlier today. Also +1 for Martinu's 'Parables' another lovely score.

Very nice list indeed. Those two are Night ride & Sunrise and Isle of the Dead, respectively.