What is the greatest symphonic poem?

[Maestro267]

What are some works that were mentioned that you haven't heard but would like to?

I'm giving Koechlin's Le buisson ardent a go now. The Krasnodonians looks interesting too

[Mirror Image]

I'm giving Koechlin's Le buisson ardent a go now.

Let me know what you think whenever you get the chance. I find this to be one of Koechlin's best orchestral works.

[Maestro267]

Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot! Fascinating orchestration. I found liner notes from another recording which confirmed the sound I heard at the beginning of Part 2 to be the wonderful ondes Martenot. It also said there are 5 saxophones (which I couldn't hear) and organ (which I very much COULD hear, again wonderful.)

[relm1]

Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot! Fascinating orchestration. I found liner notes from another recording which confirmed the sound I heard at the beginning of Part 2 to be the wonderful ondes Martenot. It also said there are 5 saxophones (which I couldn't hear) and organ (which I very much COULD hear, again wonderful.)

Fascinating.  Never heard the work so I've added it to my listening list.

[relm1]

Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot! Fascinating orchestration. I found liner notes from another recording which confirmed the sound I heard at the beginning of Part 2 to be the wonderful ondes Martenot. It also said there are 5 saxophones (which I couldn't hear) and organ (which I very much COULD hear, again wonderful.)

I thought this was a fantastic release.  I was surprised by how contemporary it sounded.  Gorgeous, refined, expertly orchestrated, exotic, but also quite sophisticated.  I will certainly explore his music further because I loved this release!  Even the early "La course de printemps, op. 95" dating from 1908 was amazing sophisticated.  It felt like something that could have been written today!  Lovely music and I look forward to exploring this composer further! 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

For me, Sibelius tops the list with En Saga. There aren't a huge number of quality videos which feature the piece, but this one is good:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-iarVX4jZ-g

Thanks for that link; I enjoyed the performance.  I have several recordings of it, but have never seen it performed before, so that was nice!

PD

[LKB]

Thanks for that link; I enjoyed the performance.  I have several recordings of it, but have never seen it performed before, so that was nice!

PD

Glad you enjoyed it!

[Symphonic Addict]

Ten of the "very best" or "greatest" that I consider regarding many respects, they have to be:

Balakirev: Tamara
Bax: November Woods
Delius: In a Summer Garden
Dvorak: The Noon-Day Witch
Franck: Le Chasseur maudit
Liszt: Les préludes
Sibelius: Tapiola
Smetana: Vltava
Strauss: Don Quixote
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet

[amw]

A surprising number of the best symphonic poems seem to be sorted into groups of four: Dvořák op. 107-110, Sibelius Lemminkäinen Suite, Holmboe Four Symphonic Metamorphoses, for example. I have no idea why that is.

I'm not especially fond of the Liszt or Smetana contributions (except, on special occasions, Vyšehrad), but I guess I should also mention La Valse, the Debussy Images (not a La Mer fan personally), the Hebrides Overture, Tapiola, and other such standard choices. I haven't heard any Franck examples other than Le chausseur maudit, which certainly used to be a favourite but may have been a little overexposed. I can't remember whether Nielsen's An Imaginary Journey to the Faeroe Islands is a symphonic poem or an overture but it's also a good option.

[joachim]

To me

Liszt : Les Preludes (in fact I like his 13 symphonic poems)
Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathoustra (and others like Don Juan)
Sibelius: En Saga, The Daughter of Pohjola
Tchaikovsky: Fatum, Romeo and Juliet
Borodin: In the steppes of Central Asia
Gliere: The Zaporozhian Cossacks
Franck: Le Chasseur Maudit

etc.  in fact, there are so many symphonic poems that I should quote many more!