GMG Classical Music Forum

I'm a sucker for the VW and Rachmaninov ones ;D

Of these, the Beethoven and Shostakovich. None ranks in my favourite three by the composer in question (though they might well both rank in the favourite five, if I ever compiled one).

My brain is telling me there must be other good choices, but none is coming forward. (Sibelius' Kullervo and Schnittke's (only marginally choral) 4th both fall some way short.)

What about Wagner?  ;D

Sorry, I had to be honest.

Beethoven's 9th it is.  ;)

LvB 9
Havergal Brian 1
Mahler 2

Hard choice.

Beethoven's 9th and Mahler's 2nd are equally great - among the finest symphonies ever written. They have similarities too...such as the way the choir is introduced in the final movements...and the stormy, tragic opening of both works...both are about struggle in the beginning, then end in a triumphant, victorious manner...

Quote from: Steve on May 31, 2007, 04:28:07 PM
Sorry, I had to be honest.

Beethoven's 9th it is.  ;)

Yep, ditto.

LVB 9
Shosty 13th.

don't like choral symphonies.

Quote from: MahlerTitan on May 31, 2007, 09:21:12 PM
don't like choral symphonies.

Not even Mahler's 2nd?

I want to know the person who voted Mendelssohn 2. It is a good work, but I doubt even Mendelssohn's own mother would vote it the greatest choral symphony ever.

Quote from: Steve on May 31, 2007, 09:39:52 PM
Not even Mahler's 2nd?

it's okay, i have a strong preference for purely instrumental music.

Quote from: MahlerTitan on May 31, 2007, 09:48:18 PM
it's okay, i have a strong preference for purely instrumental music.

So, it's not just the choral symphonies, but all vocal music? Does that rule out Opera?

Quote from: Steve on May 31, 2007, 09:59:44 PM
So, it's not just the choral symphonies, but all vocal music? Does that rule out Opera?

yes, i am not that into operas or vocal music.

However, i have heard all the great works, like mozart, verdi, rossini, schubert's songs, and song cycles..etc, i'm just don' like voice in music, that's all.

Mahler 2 .... had to be  :)

Beethoven 9th.

But The Bells are very beautiful. Regarding Mahler's 2nd, the Choral part is, to me, the less intersting.

Mahler 2.

Another Mahler 2 vote :). Oh my, when the mezzo starts singing in Ulricht ... that's so achingly beautiful.

I like LvB 9 but prefer the first 3 movements, so I don't suppose that counts in this particular poll, does it? ;D

Mahler 8 isn't a favourite, but sometimes - just sometimes - I really like the bloatedness, the over-the-topness, the sheer excess, of it. Too much of it, you OD though.

Quote from: D Minor on May 31, 2007, 04:35:12 PM
LvB 9
Havergal Brian 1
Mahler 2

Brilliant!

Berlioz' Romeo et Juliette!

Had to be honest, too.  If I had to choose just one of those, for me, it has to be the Shostakovich Opus 113

I love the Mahler Eighth, and can't really explain why.  I wouldn't want to listen to it every day, but in live performance it is definitely an event.  Part of the thrill for me is even before it begins, just watching the stage filling up with people.  I am really looking forward to the Philadelphia Orchestra's performance about a year from now, especially after hearing Eschenbach and the group do the Second a few weeks ago. 

--Bruce

I voted for Mahler 2, because I find the choral contribution more satisfying than in Beethoven's 9th. I sometimes feel that, if Beethoven hadn't been deaf, he wouldn'thave had the sopranos sing so high for so long. In some performances the strain really shows. That said, the purely instrumental slow movement is one of the most beautiful in all music.

Mahler Symphony #8 E flat  "Symphony of a Thousand" and Havergal Brian Symphony #1 D minor "Gothic"


About Mahler 8: I'm puzzled by how little respect this symphony gets--even from the dedicated Mahlerites.

Sarge

Quote from: James on June 01, 2007, 08:33:28 AM
Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms

(* pounds the table *)

Quote from: James on June 01, 2007, 08:33:28 AM
Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms

Quote from: karlhenning on June 01, 2007, 08:40:48 AM
(* pounds the table *)

In a poll of Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians, the work receiving the most votes (mentions) as favorite work happened to be Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

Quote from: springrite on June 01, 2007, 08:56:34 AM
In a poll of Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians, the work receiving the most votes (mentions) as favorite work happened to be Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

Well isn't that cool!  I would have expected something else to win...not sure what, but not the Stravinsky. 

--Bruce

Quote from: bhodges on June 01, 2007, 09:06:05 AM
Well isn't that cool!  I would have expected something else to win...not sure what, but not the Stravinsky. 

--Bruce

Another Stravinsky work, Rite of Spring, finished 3rd or 4th.

Quote from: James on June 01, 2007, 08:33:28 AM
Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms

Ok, so why did I forget that one? It's my #1 choice by miles.

I'll also pre-empt Maciek by replacing my #2 choice with Szymanowski's orgiastic 3rd.

Quote from: springrite on June 01, 2007, 08:56:34 AM
In a poll of Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians, the work receiving the most votes (mentions) as favorite work happened to be Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

Probably because it's so short; they get to go home early, toke up, and watch the sunset from their beachfront properties  ;D

Sarge

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on June 01, 2007, 08:11:30 AM
Havergal Brian Symphony #1 D minor "Gothic"

Yes ........

Mahler 2 - absolutely - no contest.
Then the 8.
Then Shostakovich 13, then Mahler 3, then LVB 9. I don't know the Brian 1 or 4 well enough yet for them to go on the faves list.

Quote from: edward on June 01, 2007, 09:23:09 AM
Ok, so why did I forget that one? It's my #1 choice by miles.

I'll also pre-empt Maciek by replacing my #2 choice with Szymanowski's orgiastic 3rd.

Thanks, Edward. :D I felt I shouldn't be doing this on yet another thread or I'd put everyone to sleep with my monotony...

Quote from: springrite on June 01, 2007, 08:56:34 AM
In a poll of Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians, the work receiving the most votes (mentions) as favorite work happened to be Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on June 01, 2007, 09:38:08 AM
Probably because it's so short; they get to go home early, toke up, and watch the sunset from their beachfront properties  ;D

Sarge

And, of course, since the score doesn't call for violins, violas, or clarinets, those players can go home before it even begins.   ;D

Quote from: Wendell_E on June 01, 2007, 11:27:31 AM
And, of course, since the score doesn't call for violins, violas, or clarinets, those players can go home before it even begins.   ;D

Bingo!

Sarge

Selected the Mahler 8th and Shosty 13th, in part as my favourite completely choral symphonies.

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on June 01, 2007, 08:11:30 AM
Mahler Symphony #8 E flat  "Symphony of a Thousand" and Havergal Brian Symphony #1 D minor "Gothic"


About Mahler 8: I'm puzzled by how little respect this symphony gets--even from the dedicated Mahlerites.

Sarge

Mahler's 8th has always been something of a problem for me.  I know it's called a symphony, but for me it sounds more like an Oratorio, or even two oratorios cobbled together.  Das Lied, on the other hand, sounds more like a sung symphony.  I do love the 8th; I just feel the 2nd is a better symphony.

For Choral symphonies, I chose the Beethoven 9th and Mahler 2nd as much for the thematic program as the music, although the music of both can stand on its own merits.  I'm just surprised Kullervo didn't make it onto the list, too.

Shostakovich 13th and 14th

DSCH 14 is not a choral symphony, nor is Das Lied.

Of course the ones I put on the list are just a few among the many that could be included, but I doubted they would have garnered many votes. I preferred to let people go out and mention their favourites! My own indulgence was to nominate the Rachmaninov work, which few know  ;)

Others not yet mentioned: DSCH 2 and 3, Hanson 7, Harris 4, Sauguet 2, Henze 7, Eisler, Bernstein 3, Danielpour 3 etc. etc.

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on June 01, 2007, 03:28:37 PM
Others not yet mentioned: DSCH 2 and 3, Hanson 7, Harris 4, Sauguet 2, Henze 7, Eisler, Bernstein 3, Danielpour 3 etc. etc.

I refuse to believe that this thread has any weaknesses ....... whether in the OP or otherwise .........

A more accurate list imho would also include a.o.:

Brian, Gothic (no. 1) [probably my first choice, but only thanks to the three orchestral parts]
Holst, [`First] Choral Symphony (a second one never followed, due to his premature death)
Bliss, Morning Heroes
Rubbra, Sinfonia Sacra (no. 9)
Braga Santos, Symphonies 4 & 6
Guarnieri, Symphony 5
Santoro, Sinfonia Da Paz (no. 4)
Badings, Psalmensymfonie (no. 6)
Stravinsky, Symphonie de Psaumes [not really a symphony, of course]

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on June 01, 2007, 03:28:37 PM
DSCH 14 is not a choral symphony, nor is Das Lied.

it is to me.  So, yes, for me, it is a choral symphony, since there are voices singing.  And Das Lied isn't really a symphony, since Mahler didn't name it as one.  :-P

but yeah, my interpretation of what I think Shostakovich 14 is a choral symphony, even with just 2 voices.

Quote from: Ring_of_fire on June 02, 2007, 01:24:57 PM
it is to me.  So, yes, for me, it is a choral symphony, since there are voices singing.  And Das Lied isn't really a symphony, since Mahler didn't name it as one.  :-P

but yeah, my interpretation of what I think Shostakovich 14 is a choral symphony, even with just 2 voices.

I think Herr Mahler would, and - as a matter of fact - did, disagree with the characterization of Das Lied as anything but a "symphony," he did title it (or allow it to be titled):

Eine Symphonie für eine Tenor- und eine Alt- (oder Bariton-) Stimme und Orchester (nach Hans Bethges "Die chinesische Flöte").

While the case could be made that that was a post mortem title, one must recall that Henry Louis de la Grange reports that Mahler's own manuscript listed it as "Ninth Symphony in four movements." Regardless, I think the case exists that Mahler - the man whose opinion counts the most on this subject - viewed Das Lied as more of a symphony than a song cycle.

In any event, I voted for the two Mahler choices, which are both splendid. However, Stravinsky's Psalms would make an interesting choice, too.