What is the greatest symphonic poem?

[Karl Henning]

I'm not sure if my choices are the greatest symphonic poems ever, but I'm very fond of Sibelius's Tapiola and Rachmaninov's The Isle of the Dead. Both works are the epitome of atmosphere, they really describe what they are supposed to express or convey.

Both of them magnificent!

[Mirror Image]

Not sure that I know them John, but I had high, unfulfilled, hopes for the 'Dante Symphony'. Sorry to say that (together with Richard Strauss) he is one of my least favourite composers. I consider Chisholm's 'Pictures from Dante' to be a much greater work and truer to the spirit of Dante.

That's fair enough, Jeffrey. I'm sure we could go back and forth with composers with like/dislike, but, hopefully, one day Liszt and Strauss will click for you, but I won't hold my breath.

[Karl Henning]

Sibelius: Tapiola
Sainton: Nadir/ The Island
Bax: Tintagel/Nympholept/Christmas Eve in the Mountains/November Woods
Novak: In the Tatras/ De Profundis
Alwyn: The Magic Island
Moeran: In the Mountain Country
Mazaev: The Krasnodonians
Lyadov: Babi-Yaga/The Enchanted Lake
Rachmaninov: The Isle of the Dead
Patrick Hadley: Kinder Scout
Dorothy Howell: Lamia
Gershwin: An American in Paris

A little surprised you do not include Myaskovsky's Silence, which I think you ought.

[Karl Henning]

Interestingly, no one has mentioned Liszt who practically invented the genre.  You folks find it a bit dry and old fashioned? 

I love Orpheus

[André]

Dvorak's The Water Goblin




Oh, and Liszt's Les Préludes

[(poco) Sforzando]

Does there have to be one? But if I were choose an ideal, I could not do better than Strauss's "Till Eulenspiegel."

[Karl Henning]

Does there have to be one? But if I were choose an ideal, I could not do better than Strauss's "Till Eulenspiegel."

Still great fun!

[Mirror Image]

Does there have to be one? But if I were choose an ideal, I could not do better than Strauss's "Till Eulenspiegel."

Man, I love that piece! As Karl wrote, 'Great fun!'

[vandermolen]

A little surprised you do not include Myaskovsky's Silence, which I think you ought.

Quite right Karl! How could I forget that one? 

Anyway, I've added it to my list now.

[Mirror Image]

Dvorak's The Water Goblin




Oh, and Liszt's Les Préludes

Great picks!

[André]

Seriously, Les Préludes has been with me since my young teen years and my affection for it has never faltered. 

[Karl Henning]

Seriously, Les Préludes has been with me since my young teen years and my affection for it has never faltered. 

It's the only Liszt tone-poem I've played in an orchestra for. Won't hear a word against it. Oh, and I've played in Sibelius' Finlandia, too ....

[André]

It's the only Liszt tone-poem I've played in an orchestra for. Won't hear a word against it. Oh, and I've played in Sibelius' Finlandia, too ....

Hear ! Hear !! 

[Cato]

Seriously, Les Préludes has been with me since my young teen years and my affection for it has never faltered. 

Amen!

It's the only Liszt tone-poem I've played in an orchestra for. Won't hear a word against it. Oh, and I've played in Sibelius' Finlandia, too ....

I thought about Liszt later: Hunnenschlacht came to mind, as did its cousin, the 1812 Overture of Tchaikovsky, but other duties called!   0:)  The former I have never heard except in my mind's ear: I played through it with the score. which I found in the Music Section of my university's library 50+ years ago or so.

But maybe it is time to hear a real performance:

https://www.youtube.com/v/6v2Zxq9wVM0&list=RD6v2Zxq9wVM0&start_radio=1

[relm1]

Not sure that I know them John, but I had high, unfulfilled, hopes for the 'Dante Symphony'. Sorry to say that (together with Richard Strauss) he is one of my least favourite composers. I consider Chisholm's 'Pictures from Dante' to be a much greater work and truer to the spirit of Dante.

It's basically whether you prefer 19th or 20th century vernacular.  I LOVE Chisholm's Dante pictures but prefer 20th century music far more than 19th century. 

[relm1]

It's the only Liszt tone-poem I've played in an orchestra for. Won't hear a word against it. Oh, and I've played in Sibelius' Finlandia, too ....

I've played Finlandia too and come to loathe that piece.  Sibelius at his worst.  It's his bolero. 

[Karl Henning]

I've played Finlandia too and come to loathe that piece.  Sibelius at his worst.  It's his bolero. 

Unlike Les Préludes, I hear words against the Sibelius Opus 26

[vandermolen]

It's basically whether you prefer 19th or 20th century vernacular.  I LOVE Chisholm's Dante pictures but prefer 20th century music far more than 19th century.

Yes, me too. I think that I enjoyed Liszt's 'Totentanz' by the way.

[relm1]

Unlike Les Préludes, I hear words against the Sibelius Opus 26

I think Finlandia just got too boring for me.  I heard it all the time because it's on every Sibelius release.  It's more fun to play (I'm low brass) so even there I think it might have an edge over Ravel's Bolero in terms of "somebody please shoot me" rating. 

[relm1]

Dvorak's The Water Goblin




Oh, and Liszt's Les Préludes

I must confess ignorance to the Dvorak.  Must remedy that.