Top 10 Symphony Slow Movements

[arpeggio]

I can not come up with just ten but I like the majority that have been mentioned so far.

There are two band works I would like to mention.

Vittorio Giannini Third Symphony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_H5GrIUg48

Morton Gould West Point Symphony.  Although the symphony has a non traditional two movement format, there are some nice adagio sections in the first movement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFdyvCx2aN4

[amw]

Went through a list of symphonies I have to refresh my memory, and mostly found myself with questions over what constitutes a "slow" movement, like "Does it have to be in the interior of the piece?" and "How much of the music has to be slow?" and "Does it simply have to be the slowest movement in that particular piece?" etc. Obviously these questions are not answerable.

Bruckner - Symphony No. 8: Adagio (Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend)
Dvořák - Symphony No. 3: Adagio molto, tempo di marcia
Dvořák - Symphony No. 4: Andante sostenuto e molto cantabile
Dvořák - Symphony No. 9: Largo
Martinů - Symphony No. 2: Andante moderato
Martinů - Symphony No. 6: Lento (the finale—it briefly goes up to an Allegro but only for about a minute)
Franck - Symphony: Allegretto (does this count??)
Schubert - Symphony D944: Andante con moto
Berlioz - Roméo et Juliette: Scène d'amour
Sibelius - Symphony No. 1: Andante, ma non troppo lento
Sibelius - Symphony No. 4: Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio (edge case)
Brahms - Symphony No. 4: Andante moderato
Haydn - Symphony No. 103: Andante più tosto allegretto
Haydn - Symphony No. 49: Adagio
Haydn - Symphony No. 47: Un poco adagio, cantabile
Beethoven - Symphony No. 2: Larghetto
Myaskovsky - Symphony No. 11: Andante - Adagio, ma non tanto
Myaskovsky - Symphony No. 27: Adagio
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 1: Land of desolation, land of mists: Adagio cantabile ma non tanto
Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 5: Romanza: Lento
Kalinnikov - Symphony No. 1: Andante commodamente
Mozart - Symphony No. 38: Andante

These are not presented in order of preference. If I did that the Vaughan Williams, Franck, Haydn 49 and one of the Dvořáks would be at the head of the list.

[Biffo]

Beethoven 3
Beethoven 9
Berlioz - Roméo et Juliette: Scène d'amour
Bruckner 7
Bruckner 9
Mahler 9 (1st mvt)
Mahler 3 Finale
Vaughan Williams No 3 Pastoral - 2nd mvt
Vaughan Williams No 5 Romanza
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6 - Finale

Lots of others.

[Jo498]

Went through a list of symphonies I have to refresh my memory, and mostly found myself with questions over what constitutes a "slow" movement, like "Does it have to be in the interior of the piece?" and "How much of the music has to be slow?" and "Does it simply have to be the slowest movement in that particular piece?" etc. Obviously these questions are not answerable.

Why not?
I'd say no to the first answer because there are well known pieces with a first (e.g. Haydn 22 or 49) or last (e.g. Tchaikovsky 6th) slow movement (and no comparably slow interior one). And I'd also say no the third because there are pieces with more than one slow(ish) movement and I don't mean a slowish "first movement" (rather as in Schubert's octet two slow interior ones). There are of course cases one can argue about, like the first of Mahler's 9th. (And there are also pieces without a slow movement. The allegretto in Beethoven's 8th stands in for a slow movement but unlike in his 7th or several of Haydn's (like 103) I'd say that it is too unlike slow movements in character to count as slow.)
As for the second, I think it should be mostly slowish but obviously something like a fast contrasting section or a faster variation in a variation movement should not disqualify.

I don't know all the pieces you mention but it seems that they should all qualify as slow.

[Florestan]

Otomh:

Mozart 1 (no typo!)
Beethoven 6, 7, 8, 9
Schubert 8, 9
Tchaikovsky 5, 6
Mahler 1

Ten already so I'd better stop., but not before mentioning Berlioz SF and Mahler 6 (Adagietto).

[kyjo]

Today's list:

Alfven 3
Andreae in C
Arnold 5
Atterberg 4
Braga Santos 2
Bruckner 9
Dvorak 7
Lloyd 6
Prokofiev 5
Vaughan Williams 2

As always, impossible to choose just 10!

[Mirror Image]

Today's list:

Alfven 3
Andreae in C
Arnold 5
Atterberg 4
Braga Santos 2
Bruckner 9
Dvorak 7
Lloyd 6
Prokofiev 5
Vaughan Williams 2

As always, impossible to choose just 10!

I heartily endorse these, although I don't know the Andreae.

[Symphonic Addict]

Time for an update:

Bloch - in C sharp minor
Bruckner - 5 (or the 7th)
Korngold - in F sharp
Madetoja - 2
L. Nielsen - 3
Simonsen - 1
Suk - 1
Villa-Lobos - 6
Walton - 1
Weingartner - 3

[André]

Limiting the choice to one per composer:

Beethoven 3
Schumann 3
Brahms 4
Bruckner 8
Mahler 9 (the finale)
Franck
Shostakovich 5
Elgar 2
Arnold 5
Vaughan Williams 1 (on the Beach at Night, Alone)

[Mirror Image]

Today's list:

(In no particular order)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 - IV. Largo
Weinberg: Symphony No. 12, 'In Memoriam D. Shostakovich' - III. Adagio - Allegro
Schnittke: Symphony No. 8 - III. Lento
Glazunov: Symphony No. 7 - II. Andante
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 - III. Adagio
Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24 - II. Molto sostenuto
Martinů: Symphony No. 2 - II. Andante moderato
Malipiero: Sinfonia No. 6, 'Degli archi' - II. Piùttosto lento
Casella: Sinfonia (Symphony No. 3) - II. Andante Molto Moderato Quasi Adagio
Diamond: Symphony No. 3 - IV. Adagio assai

[Mirror Image]

Excellent choices!  I listened to most of them and am humbled by your obvious knowledge of the orchestral canon to pick these movements, some of which are not obvious choices at all.

Well done!   

Thanks a lot, San Antone. I would hardly say I know anything about classical music other than what I like. My knowledge doesn't run as deep as your own or like so many others here. I'm still a novice trying to find my way.

[kyjo]

Time for an update:

Bloch - in C sharp minor
Bruckner - 5 (or the 7th)
Korngold - in F sharp
Madetoja - 2
L. Nielsen - 3
Simonsen - 1
Suk - 1
Villa-Lobos - 6
Walton - 1
Weingartner - 3

Nice to see a vote for the gorgeous slow movement of Suk 1 with its noble main theme worthy of Dvorak. The opening of that movement, with the clarinet playing the main theme over hushed low strings, never fails to give me goosebumps in its timeless simplicity. Bruckner 5 is an interesting choice - I don't recall being particularly struck by the slow movement (as I surely am in by those in his final three symphonies). Time for a revisit!

[Symphonic Addict]

Nice to see a vote for the gorgeous slow movement of Suk 1 with its noble main theme worthy of Dvorak. The opening of that movement, with the clarinet playing the main theme over hushed low strings, never fails to give me goosebumps in its timeless simplicity. Bruckner 5 is an interesting choice - I don't recall being particularly struck by the slow movement (as I surely am in by those in his final three symphonies). Time for a revisit!

Indeed, Kyle. I don't remember that passage you mention but certainly is a so lovely movement. In fact, the whole work is such an uplifting utterance. The Bruckner really moved me the last time I listened to it, hence I included on this occasion.

[Symphonic Addict]

Today's list:

(In no particular order)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 - IV. Largo
Weinberg: Symphony No. 12, 'In Memoriam D. Shostakovich' - III. Adagio - Allegro
Schnittke: Symphony No. 8 - III. Lento
Glazunov: Symphony No. 7 - II. Andante
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 - III. Adagio
Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24 - II. Molto sostenuto
Martinů: Symphony No. 2 - II. Andante moderato
Malipiero: Sinfonia No. 6, 'Degli archi' - II. Piùttosto lento
Casella: Sinfonia (Symphony No. 3) - II. Andante Molto Moderato Quasi Adagio
Diamond: Symphony No. 3 - IV. Adagio assai

An attractive list, John. The Weinberg and the Diamond cause me a bit of intrigue.

[Mirror Image]

An attractive list, John. The Weinberg and the Diamond cause me a bit of intrigue.

Thanks, Cesar. My list will probably be different tomorrow.

[vandermolen]

New list:
Popov: Symphony No.2 'Motherland'
Khachaturian: Symphony No.2 'The Bell'
Miaskovsky: Symphony No.27
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No.8
Diamond: Symphony No.3
Glazunov: Symphony No.8
Shostakovich: Symphony No.8
Atterberg: Symphony No.8
Rubbra: Symphony No.7 (finale)
Tubin: Symphony No.5

[Mirror Image]

New list:
Popov: Symphony No.2 'Motherland'
Khachaturian: Symphony No.2 'The Bell'
Miaskovsky: Symphony No.27
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No.8
Diamond: Symphony No.3
Glazunov: Symphony No.8
Shostakovich: Symphony No.8
Atterberg: Symphony No.8
Rubbra: Symphony No.7 (finale)
Tubin: Symphony No.5

Very nice, Jeffrey. I especially like your choice of the Popov, which, IMHO, is quite an underrated Soviet Era symphony.

[Christo]

Mostly usual suspects, out of the top of my head:

Andreae, Symphony in C
Arnold, Symphony No. 5
Barber, Symphony No. 2 ('Night flight')
Braga Santos, Symphony No. 3
Holmboe, Symphony No. 8
Madetoja, Symphony No. 2
Nielsen, Symphony No. 3
Tubin, Symphony No. 4 'Lirica'
Mahler, Symphony No. 6
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 8
Vaughan Williams, Symphony No. 9

[vandermolen]

Very nice, Jeffrey. I especially like your choice of the Popov, which, IMHO, is quite an underrated Soviet Era symphony.

Yes, it's a fabulous work.

[Brian]

Updating my old list with a new one that technically doesn't violate the spirit of the thread title because I'm putting 'em in order!

I feel bad leaving out Papa Haydn, but classical-era slow movements don't really hit for me as strongly as romantic and post-romantic ones do. Also, I can't always remember which Haydn slow movement is which except for the really obvious ones (the clock, the flatulence, the lament). I am the first vote in this thread for the Rouse and Borodin.

21. Kalinnikov 1
20. Rouse 4 ("Doloroso")
19. Berlioz R&J
18. Dvorak 3
17. Tchaikovsky 1
16. Vaughan Williams 3 ("Lento moderato")
15. Elgar 2
14. Rachmaninov 2
13. Martinu 4
12. Sibelius 4 (third movement)
11. Schubert 8 (D. 944)
10. Tchaikovsky 5
9. Mahler 3
8. Beethoven 3
7. Shostakovich 5
6. Borodin 2
5. Bruckner 7 ("Adagio"; no percussion)
4. Bruckner 8
3. Mahler 4
2. Beethoven 7
1. Vaughan Williams 5 ("Romanza")