Top 10 Symphony Slow Movements

[madaboutmahler]

Again, have to count Mahler as one vote!! But especially 5, 6, 7 and both 9. Oh, and 10 of course!  0:)

My other 9, one per composer:
Elgar 2
Shostakovich 5
Bruckner 7
Rachmaninov 2
Schumann 4
Sibelius 3
Nielsen 1
Skold 2
Szymanowski 3

And the second love song from Messiaen Turangulina.... so hypnotic!

[Brahmsian]

No particular order, except Bruckner's 7th being numero uno for me! 

Mahler's 6th
Brahms 3rd (3rd mvt)
Beethoven's 3rd
Shostakovich 8th - 4th mvt
Tchaikovsky's 5th
Dvorak's 8th
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique - Mvt. 3
Schubert's 4th
Vaughan Williams' 5th
Schumann's 2nd

[North Star]

No particular order, except Bruckner's 7th being numero uno for me! 

Mahler's 6th
Brahms 3rd (3rd mvt)
Beethoven's 3rd
Shostakovich 8th - 4th mvt
Tchaikovsky's 5th
Dvorak's 8th
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique - Mvt. 3
Schubert's 4th
Vaughan Williams' 5th
Schumann's 2nd

So you have 11 there     

[Brahmsian]

So you have 11 there     

Yes, I always cheat in these things.  It is well known. 

[Brian]

I want it badly...but at my age, I'm not sure I could lift it 

Sarge

You know there's a paperback version, right?

[Sergeant Rock]

You know there's a paperback version, right?

The thing still weighs 14 pounds! (Well, maybe I could handle that  )

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Keep a goat to do the light hauling.

[Brian]

Beethoven - 7th
Bruckner - 7th
Dvorak - 3rd, 7th
Brahms - 4th
Elgar - 2nd
Shostakovich - 6th
Atterberg - 3rd (finale), 8th
Vaughan Williams - 5th

I must be the only vote for Dvorak's Third, but it would appeal to anybody who likes the funeral march in Elgar's Second Symphony. There's a similar feverish nightmare-type quality to it.

One thing I discovered during this exercise was that many/most of my favorite slow movements are NOT in symphonies! An awful lot are in concertos, some are in chorchestral works, a few are in tone poems, many are in chamber music...

[Brian]

Keep a goat to do the light hauling.

They'll cut the grass, too!

[Sergeant Rock]

They'll cut the grass, too!

I gave up on the lawn; I let the ivy take over. It took almost ten years but my entire "Grundstück" is now ivy, and it takes care of itself; no work, no manicuring necessary 

[kyjo]

Beethoven - 7th
Bruckner - 7th
Dvorak - 3rd, 7th
Brahms - 4th
Elgar - 2nd
Shostakovich - 6th
Atterberg - 3rd (finale), 8th
Vaughan Williams - 5th

I must be the only vote for Dvorak's Third, but it would appeal to anybody who likes the funeral march in Elgar's Second Symphony. There's a similar feverish nightmare-type quality to it.

One thing I discovered during this exercise was that many/most of my favorite slow movements are NOT in symphonies! An awful lot are in concertos, some are in chorchestral works, a few are in tone poems, many are in chamber music...

Table-pounding list, Brian (the Atterberg choices I especially liked, needless to say)! Re the Dvorak Third, I think it is an underrated work, and, like you say, the middle movement is a masterpiece in itself. Although it would not have made it into my top ten, I hold it in high regard.

[SymphonicAddict]

In alphabetical order:

Atterberg - Symphony 8
Bax - Symphony 1
Bruckner - Symphony 7
Glière - Symphony 3
Mahler - Symphony 6
Prokofiev - Symphony 5
Raid - Symphony 1 (3rd movement)
Respighi - Sinfonia Drammatica
Tchaikovsky - Symphony 5
Vaughan Williams - Symphony 2

[vandermolen]

In alphabetical order:

Atterberg - Symphony 8
Bax - Symphony 1
Bruckner - Symphony 7
Glière - Symphony 3
Mahler - Symphony 6
Prokofiev - Symphony 5
Raid - Symphony 1 (3rd movement)
Respighi - Sinfonia Drammatica
Tchaikovsky - Symphony 5
Vaughan Williams - Symphony 2

Great list Cesar. I share many of these selections although I don't know the Respighi. That Atterberg movement is my favourite in all his symphonies and a big thumbs-up to Kaljo Raid's magnificent 1st Symphony, the Gliere, Bax, Prokofiev (my favourite of his symphonic movements) and VW of course!

[Mirror Image]

Nice list, Kyle. Several of my choices duplicate your own:

1. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
2. RVW: Symphony No. 5
3. Casella: Sinfonia
4. Honegger: Symphony No. 3 'Liturgique'
5. Schnittke: Symphony No. 8
6. Roussel: Symphony No. 3
7. Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24
8. Elgar: Symphony No. 2
9. Diamond: Symphony No. 4
10. Tubin: Symphony No. 1

Since this has been five years ago, I'll update it (some of the choices may/may not remain)...

(In no particular order)

Vaughan Williams: A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No. 3) (last movement)
Elgar: Symphony No. 2
Barber: Symphony No. 2
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad"
Weinberg: Symphony No. 5
Nielsen: Symphony No. 5 (the second part of the first movement, Adagio non troppo)
Martinů: Symphony No. 2
Sibelius: Symphony No. 4
Szymanowski: Symphonie Concertante (Symphony No. 4)

[vandermolen]

New list from me too although I share many of the choices already posted by Cesar (SA), Kyle (Kyjo) and John (MI):

Atterberg: Symphony 8
Moeran: Symphony
Prokofiev: Symphony 5
Glazunov: Symphony 8
Rootham: Symphony 2 (finale)
Vaughan Williams: Symphony 6 (last movement)
Tubin: Symphony 5
Braga Santos: Symphony 4
Bruckner: Symphony 9
Tchaikovsky: Pathetique Symphony (finale)

[kyjo]

Great list, Jeffrey. Mine would currently look something like:

Arnold: Symphony no. 5
Atterberg: Symphony no. 5 (or any of them, really)
Braga Santos: Symphony no. 2 (tough choice between the first four)
Bruckner: Symphony no. 8
Dvořák: Symphony no. 7
Elgar: Symphony no. 2
Hanson: Symphony no. 3
Mahler: Symphony no. 9 (finale)
Piston: Symphony no. 2
Rachmaninoff: Symphony no. 2


Interestingly, three of my favorite symphonists - Shostakovich, Sibelius, and VW - somehow didn't make it onto my list...

[vandermolen]

Great list, Jeffrey. Mine would currently look something like:

Arnold: Symphony no. 5
Atterberg: Symphony no. 5 (or any of them, really)
Braga Santos: Symphony no. 2 (tough choice between the first four)
Bruckner: Symphony no. 8
Dvořák: Symphony no. 7
Elgar: Symphony no. 2
Hanson: Symphony no. 3
Mahler: Symphony no. 9 (finale)
Piston: Symphony no. 2
Rachmaninoff: Symphony no. 2


Interestingly, three of my favorite symphonists - Shostakovich, Sibelius, and VW - somehow didn't make it onto my list...

Great list too Kyle. Yes, ten is not enough. I should have included Piston's Second Symphony as well as that movement is very special, especially in MTT's recording.

[Total Rafa]

I'd probably go with these 10 for now:

Beethoven 5
Bruckner 7, 8
Mahler 9 (adagio)
Martinů 4
Shostakovich 5, 15 (2nd mvmt)
Rautavaara 7
Sibelius 3
Tchaikovsky 5

Bonus pick:

Pärt - Symphony No. 4 (it is all slow, but I'm thinking of either the Con sublimità or Affannoso movements in particular).

[Maestro267]

I may add to this later once I've thought of it, but I'm absolutely windmill slamming my favourite symphonic slow movement of all:

Korngold Symphony in F sharp

[Jo498]

Bruckner 9
Beethoven 9
Mahler 9 finale (I don't count the first movement as a real slow movement)
Bruckner 7
Brucker 8
Bruckner 6
Mahler 6
Haydn 88
Beethoven 3
Schumann 2