Topic: Your Favorite Beethoven Symphonies

[Don]

I have been meaning to get some for a while, but I hesistate as I am deaf in one ear, and don't really want the direct sound in my ear - I need to be careful with what I have.

Understood.

[Lethevich]

Also, after the 9th thread i'm more suspicious then ever about such 'odd' choices. It's hard to tell which is an honest preference and which is fueled by ulterior motives anymore...

No doubt more feminist conspiricists out to destroy society!!!!!!!!!!1

[Josquin des Prez]

No doubt more feminist conspiricists out to destroy society!!!!!!!!!!1

Old Europe has been dead for half a century. There is no society to destroy, we already live in the dark ages. 

[Florestan]

Fourth, Sixth, Eighth.

[Don]

The voting has closed, and the results are as expected; the 9th is the runaway winner with the 1st and 2nd recognized as trash. 

I thank you all for your participation!

[dtwilbanks]

The voting has closed, and the results are as expected; the 9th is the runaway winner with the 1st and 2nd recognized as trash. 

Ha!

[Don]

Ha!

Is that the only response I get after giving an insightful analysis of the voting results?  This is a tough crowd.

[rappy]

I would have voted for 8 / 6 / 4 (in that order)

[Haffner]

Awaiting the assault:


These are the "parts" of LvB's Symphonies that I adore:

#1: 1st and 4th Movements
#3,4, and 5:   1st movements in each
#6:  Pretty much the whole damn thing
#9: 1st, 2nd, and 4th (I just can't seem to "get" the 3rd movement...a great cure for insomniac evenings for me!)


Andy's overall Symphonic LvB favorites: the 1st movement of the "Eroica", and the 4th movement of the 9th.

Just being honest. For me, the perfect Symphonies (all the way through) are Mozart's last six;Haydn's nos  96, 102, and 104; Shostakovich nos. 4 and 14; Mahler nos. 4, 5, and 9; Profokiev "Classical", Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique",and Mendelssohn's "Italian".

Beethoven for me was the master of Chamber Music, particularly the Piano Sonatas/Trios and of course the String Quartet.

[Bunny]

That's Rob's motivation - to get us to buy more music.

Well, it certainly has worked.  I just went to BRO and found some of Wyn Morris's Beethoven and immediately started salivating.  Now I'll have to wait to hear it. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Is that the only response I get after giving an insightful analysis of the voting results?  This is a tough crowd.

Well, as much as I like 1 & 2, how could I have put one of them in ahead of 9, for example. I think the poll starter was unnecessarily mean not letting us have up to 9 choices...

[Bunny]

Is that the only response I get after giving an insightful analysis of the voting results?  This is a tough crowd.

The first and second are far from trash.  They are merely overshadowed by the mightier symphonies.  Btw, I picked the general consensus favorites as my favorites, fwiw.  That doesn't make the 3rd, 7th, and 9th the only great symphonies, nor does it make me a prophet. 

[BachQ]

I think the poll starter was unnecessarily mean not letting us have up to 9 choices...

Yeah, the poll would be much more meaningful if we could cast 9 (or even 10) votes . . . . . .

[Haffner]

The first and second are far from trash.  They are merely overshadowed by the mightier symphonies.  Btw, I picked the general consensus favorites as my favorites, fwiw.  That doesn't make the 3rd, 7th, and 9th the only great symphonies, nor does it make me a prophet. 

I always thought that the 4th movement of the 1st was one of the best pieces that Mozart never wrote.

[Bogey]

Well, as much as I like 1 & 2, how could I have put one of them in ahead of 9, for example. I think the poll starter was unnecessarily mean not letting us have up to 9 choices...

I always thought that the 4th movement of the 1st was one of the best pieces that Mozart never wrote.

Yup.  Number 1 made my top three cut.

[Mozart]

Fourth, Sixth, Eighth.

I have seen this pattern before!

...Ten Twelve Fourteen

[Steve]

If I could have indicated individual movements...

Eroica, Opening Movement
4th, Second Movement
9th, Fourth Movement

[karlhenning]

Well, at least the Eighth garnered more votes than than the First and Second together . . . .

[karlhenning]

. . . the 9th is the runaway winner . . . .

Esteemed Don, far be it from me to precipitate upon a ceremonial march . . . .

But the Ninth edged the Seventh by only two votes (32 vs. 30);  furthermore, it received votes from only a marginal majority of voters (32 out of 59).  I'm not reading that as a runaway 

[Valentino]

I've changed my mind. 4, 6 and 8. That's today's vote.
On the serious side, 1 is the only one I have problems getting to. Inmaturity on my behalf I guess.

Mind you, 3 is outside any competition.