Suffering from list deprivation. Apologies if we've done this before:
Weinberg
Vaughan Williams
Malcolm Arnold
Arnold Bax
Atterberg
Honegger
In each case, with the possible exception of Honegger, there is an argument, which I don't necessarily agree with, that these were their 'greatest' symphonies - this is not, however, a pre-requisite for this thread.
I don't think Shostakovich would be top 10 either way, for me.
Quote from: nathanb on January 16, 2017, 10:59:30 AM
I don't think Shostakovich would be top 10 either way, for me.
Thanks for responding anyway.
I take it you're not a Prokofiev fan?
Quote from: Overtones on January 16, 2017, 11:04:41 AM
I take it you're not a Prokofiev fan?
Actually I am a fan but I much prefer Symphony 6 to Symphony 5. Having said that Rozhdestvensky's recording of Symphony 5 is magnificent and it is a great symphony. I especially like the doom-laden climax of the slow movement and the mad-cap coda, especially in that Rozhdestvensky EMI/Melodiya recording. Maybe I'm too familiar with Symphony 5. I also prefer 'Ivan the Terrible' to 'Alexander Nevsky'.
I love Havergal's Fifth, "Wine of Summer". Others:
Mahler
George Lloyd
Prokofiev
Tubin
Tournemire
Nice thread, Jeffrey. My votes (in no particular order):
Vaughan Williams
Nielsen
Mahler
Weinberg
Prokofiev
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 16, 2017, 11:24:25 AM
I love Havergal's Fifth, "Wine of Summer". Others:
Mahler
George Lloyd
Prokofiev
Tubin
Tournemire
I like all of these too although I prefer Lloyd's 4th or 7th and Tournemire's Third 'Moscow' and Tubin's Second 'Legendary'. I think of Mahler as a Nineteenth Century composer but you are quite right about Symphony 5.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 16, 2017, 11:25:21 AM
Nice thread, Jeffrey. My votes (in no particular order):
Vaughan Williams
Nielsen
Mahler
Weinberg
Prokofiev
Great choices John. How could I forget Nielsen? I should have chosen it instead of Honegger but I won't change my original post. Nielsen's 5th is one of the greatest 20th Century symphonies without doubt IMHO and it was great to see it live at the proms last year.
Fine.
My six would be
Prokofiev
Mahler
Glazunov
Kancheli
Hindemith (Symphonia Serena)
Strauss (Alpine Symphony)
A little cheat in the last two but those are actually their fifth works with the term symphony in the title :)
Quote from: vandermolen on January 16, 2017, 01:03:21 PM
Great choices John. How could I forget Nielsen? I should have chosen it instead of Honegger but I won't change my original post. Nielsen's 5th is one of the greatest 20th Century symphonies without doubt IMHO and it was great to see it live at the proms last year.
Indeed, Jeffrey. Stunning work.
Nielsen
Mahler
Rubbra
RvW
Alwyn
Quote from: Overtones on January 16, 2017, 01:31:51 PM
Fine.
My six would be
Prokofiev
Mahler
Glazunov
Kancheli
Hindemith (Symphonia Serena)
Strauss (Alpine Symphony)
A little cheat in the last two but those are actually their fifth works with the term symphony in the title :)
Interesting choices - I especially like Glazunov although my favourite symphonies are 2,3,7,8 and the fragment of No.9 which I find very poignant. Must listen to the Hindemith and Kancheli.
Quote from: springrite on January 16, 2017, 08:12:38 PM
Nielsen
Mahler
Rubbra
RvW
Alwyn
All great choices - I considered the Alwyn and like all of his symphonies equally - maybe No.2 is my favourite as it was the composer's favourite of his symphonies. 5 is a fine work though - a concise, poetic and moving score.
Some rather usual suspects (and BTW: love Tubin, but not his Fifth, though I even heard it live):
Nielsen
RVW
Holmboe
Tournemire
Honegger
Arnold
Quote from: Christo on January 16, 2017, 11:39:38 PM
Some rather usual suspects (and BTW: love Tubin, but not his Fifth, though I even heard it live):
Nielsen
RVW
Holmboe
Tournemire
Honegger
Arnold
All works I greatly admire too. I like the end of the slow movement of Tubin's Fifth but symphonies 1-4 and 10 remain my favourites. :)
Prokofiev
Nielsen
Mennin
Schuman
Tubin
Vaughan Williams
A bit of a wrench to omit the Mahler.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 17, 2017, 02:16:49 AM
A bit of a wrench to omit the Mahler.
And
Holmboe,
Braga Santos,
Langgaard &
Martinů, of course.
Mahler
Prokofiev
Nielsen
Vaughan Williams
Hartmann
Schnittke
Quote from: North Star on January 17, 2017, 08:53:54 AM
Hartmann
Schnittke
It is well to have reminders of how impossible this endeavor is ;)
Quote from: North Star on January 17, 2017, 08:53:54 AM
Mahler
Prokofiev
Nielsen
Vaughan Williams
Hartmann
Schnittke
An encouragement for me to investigate those by Hartmann (I have a Wergo boxed set of the symphonies on LP) and Schnittke.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 17, 2017, 03:39:16 AM
And Holmboe, Braga Santos, Langgaard & Martinů, of course.
I like all of your choices
Karl although Schuman's 6th and 3rd are my favourites. I need to listen to the Menninger again. I much prefer the first four by Braga-Santos to nos. 5 and 6.
In the 21st century, I am excited to soon (in a month) attend the premiere performance of Christopher Rouse's Fifth Symphony.
(But in this thread, Vaughan Williams all the way!)
Quote from: Brian on January 17, 2017, 04:04:13 PM
In the 21st century, I am excited to soon (in a month) attend the premiere performance of Christopher Rouse's Fifth Symphony.
(But in this thread, Vaughan Williams all the way!)
:)
Quote from: Brian on January 17, 2017, 04:04:13 PM
In the 21st century [...]
Give me time, I hope to get there.
I don't tend to listen to symphonies very often, but from the 20th century my favourite 5ths would probably include:
Henze
Humphrey Searle
Rautavaara
Honegger
Schnittke
Maxwell Davies
As well as
Ives 'Universe Symphony'
Hartmann
Brenton Broadstock
and if Mahler's 5th is being included by others then I guess I would have to mention that one as well. Probably my least favourite of his symphonies though, and I tend to associate his style with late romanticism and as an influence for later 20th century styles.
Quote from: jessop on January 19, 2017, 04:05:51 PM
I don't tend to listen to symphonies very often, but from the 20th century my favourite 5ths would probably include:
Henze
Humphrey Searle
Rautavaara
Honegger
Schnittke
Maxwell Davies
As well as
Ives 'Universe Symphony'
Hartmann
Brenton Broadstock
and if Mahler's 5th is being included by others then I guess I would have to mention that one as well. Probably my least favourite of his symphonies though, and I tend to associate his style with late romanticism and as an influence for later 20th century styles.
I would have thought that you of all people would not forget Norgard.
Quote from: nathanb on January 19, 2017, 04:35:27 PM
I would have thought that you of all people would not forget Norgard.
WELL SHIT
I forgot Nørgård
:laugh:
For the moment, I choose these:
Prokofiev
Nielsen
Martinu
Vaughan Williams
Schnittke or Simpson
Atterberg
I haven't listened to several gorgeous fifth symphonies yet (Bax, Lloyd, Arnold, Weinberg, Malipiero, Myaskovsky, Langgaard, Lyatoshinsky, Melartin, Holmboe, Penderecki, Englund, Tubin, etc.), perhaps when I listen to them change my opinion (which is very likely)
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 16, 2017, 11:25:21 AM
Nice thread, Jeffrey. My votes (in no particular order):
Vaughan Williams
Nielsen
Mahler
Weinberg
Prokofiev
Add Miaskovsky and my list is a mirror image of yours.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 17, 2017, 02:16:49 AM
Prokofiev
Nielsen
Mennin
Schuman
Tubin
Vaughan Williams
A bit of a wrench to omit the Mahler.
Mennin for Mahler; makes me want to explore Mennin again.
No-one mention Rochberg? Where is Ghost Sonata when you need him?
The obvious ones I suppose are Mahler, Nielsen, RvW.
I don't know about great, but worthy and entertaining:
Antheil
Chavez
Creston
Guarnieri
Harris
Koppel
Lajtha
Lyatoshinsky
Piston
Rosner
Saygun
Sessions
Silvestrov
Toch
Wiren
Quote from: Daverz on January 24, 2017, 04:54:30 PM
I don't know about great, but worthy and entertaining:
Antheil
Chavez
Creston
Guarnieri
Harris
Koppel
Lajtha
Lyatoshinsky
Piston
Rosner
Saygun
Sessions
Silvestrov
Toch
Wiren
Thought provoking choices. I know many of them. I rate the Harris highly.
Difficult to choose, but - Nielsen, Mahler, Miaskovsky, Pettersson, Prokofiev, RVW, and if I could have a couple of bonuses - Brian and Rautavaara. Tischenko and Schnittke are good too.
HARTMANN !
https://www.youtube.com/v/alSRJBnl0I4
TOCH!
https://www.youtube.com/v/Zx_rLPIH2gU
Does anyone have an opinion about Penderecki's 5th? Does his 3rd count, as it is chronologically the 5th he composed?
Quote from: jessop on January 27, 2017, 11:04:28 PM
Does anyone have an opinion about Penderecki's 5th? Does his 3rd count, as it is chronologically the 5th he composed?
I enjoy his Symphony No. 5 a lot*. As for No. 3, he started it in 1988, 8 years after No. 2, but before finishing it in 1995, his 4th (1989) and 5th (1992) Symphonies came and went.
EDIT (after listening to it again, inspired by this): Strike that. I LOVE this symphony! Magnificent orchestration (antiphonal percussion, dramatic "screeches" on the strings, like the stabs from Le Sacre but with more OOMPH!), great contrast between slow and fast passages, just wonderful!
Quote from: Maestro267 on January 30, 2017, 11:53:37 AM
I enjoy his Symphony No. 5 a lot*. As for No. 3, he started it in 1988, 8 years after No. 2, but before finishing it in 1995, his 4th (1989) and 5th (1992) Symphonies came and went.
EDIT (after listening to it again, inspired by this): Strike that. I LOVE this symphony! Magnificent orchestration (antiphonal percussion, dramatic "screeches" on the strings, like the stabs from Le Sacre but with more OOMPH!), great contrast between slow and fast passages, just wonderful!
I should check it out. I've been listening to a bit of Penderecki here and there and I've been growing fonder of neo-romantics like him and Rihm. Maybe I have listened to it once before but I can't remember.
I don't think I'll include Mahler's, as his works straddle 2 centuries almost equally (10 years in XIX, 10 years in XX).
Vainberg (aka Weinberg)
Prokofiev
Silvestrov
Arnold
Kancheli
Atterberg (funebre)
My list is heavily ex-USSR biased :D
Of course Vaughan-Williams should also be included, but he kind of spoiled his effects by recycling important themes of Pilgrim's Progress in that work. Also, Nielsen, Tournemire, Milhaud, Shebalin, Nystroem. All are worthy of a regular spin.
Quote from: André on January 30, 2017, 04:50:55 PM
I don't think I'll include Mahler's, as his works straddle 2 centuries almost equally (10 years in XIX, 10 years in XX).
Vainberg (aka Weinberg)
Prokofiev
Silvestrov
Arnold
Kancheli
Atterberg (funebre)
My list is heavily ex-USSR biased :D
Of course Vaughan-Williams should also be included, but he kind of spoiled his effects by recycling important themes of Pilgrim's Progress in that work. Also, Nielsen, Tournemire, Milhaud, Shebalin, Nystroem. All are worthy of a regular spin.
A great selection :)
Quote from: André on January 30, 2017, 04:50:55 PMOf course Vaughan Williams should also be included, but he kind of spoiled his effects by recycling important themes of Pilgrim's Progress in that work.
This doesn't lessen the appeal and beauty of the 5th for me at all. It's still a work I hold in high regard and have for seven years now.
RVW
Silvestrov
Roger Sessions
Milhaud (I'm probably the only one to select this, but I really like it)
William Schuman
Rautavaara
Quote from: Rons_talking on February 09, 2017, 03:17:24 AM
RVW
Silvestrov
Roger Sessions
Milhaud (I'm probably the only one to select this, but I really like it)
William Schuman
Rautavaara
V interesting choices - I have a boxed set of the Milhaud symphonies so I must fish out Symphony 5.
Nielsen
Prokofiev
Arnold
Mennin
Atterberg
Schulhoff
Honorable mentions: Rubbra, Hanson, Vaughan Williams (hasn't completely grown on me yet)
Quote from: kyjo on September 24, 2017, 01:37:49 PMVaughan Williams (hasn't completely grown on me yet)
:o
Quote from: schnittkease on September 24, 2017, 05:13:22 PM
Ustvolskaya anyone??
Not until you talk about Schnittke's 5th, first! ;D
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 24, 2017, 02:23:42 PM
:o
What's your favorite recording of the RVW 5th, John? I'm planning on revisiting it sometime soon.
Quote from: kyjo on September 24, 2017, 08:26:55 PM
What's your favorite recording of the RVW 5th, John? I'm planning on revisiting it sometime soon.
Previn's LSO recording on RCA. This is the one that gets it 'right' IMHO. But there are a few performances I enjoy
almost equally as Previn's.
Quote from: Christo on January 16, 2017, 11:39:38 PMSome rather usual suspects (and BTW: love Tubin, but not his Fifth, though I even heard it live):
Nielsen
RVW
Holmboe
Tournemire
Honegger
Arnold
Nothing really changed, though I would like to honourably mention:
Herman Koppel
Joly Braga Santos
Erkki Melartin
Bohuslav Martinů
Camargo Guarnieri
Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
Einar Englund
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gustav Mahler
William Schuman
Dmitri Shostakovich
Tournemire
Kabelac
Peterson-Berger
Eshpai
Rubbra
Alwyn
New list
Prokofiev (obviously)
RVW (equally obviously)
Nielsen (ditto)
Mennin
Schuman
Piston
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 25, 2017, 05:33:08 AM
Prokofiev (obviously)
RVW (equally obviously)
Nielsen (ditto)
Mennin
Schuman
Piston
Surprised to see Schuman on there. Not that his 5th is a bad work of course. Given it's written for a string orchestra, it's a nice change of pace for him after his 4th.
Is this one per composer?
The first three are obvious
Mahler
RVW
Nielsen
Lots of good choices for the next 3 but none quite so obvious
Martinu
Weinberg (I think, still new to me so uncertain here)
Atterberg
Quote from: Ken B on September 25, 2017, 08:57:30 AM
Mahler is obviously not?
I plead impossibility of the mission, sir.
Quote from: Ken B on September 25, 2017, 08:57:30 AM
Mahler is obviously not?
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 17, 2017, 02:16:49 AM
Prokofiev
Nielsen
Mennin
Schuman
Tubin
Vaughan Williams
A bit of a wrench to omit the Mahler.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Thanks for looking out for me, Karlo 0:)
(And leave it to me to vote twice . . . but never on the same day!)
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 25, 2017, 09:17:35 AM
(And leave it to me to vote twice . . . but never on the same day!)
MI is such a bad influence ;D
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on September 25, 2017, 09:27:57 AM
MI is such a bad influence ;D
Sarge
In today's vote 0:) I was trying to wedge
Martinů in, truly I was.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 25, 2017, 09:48:26 AM
In today's vote 0:) I was trying to wedge Martinů in, truly I was.
8)
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 25, 2017, 09:48:26 AM
In today's vote 0:) I was trying to wedge Martinů in, truly I was.
Karl
You seem to think that in a list of 6 you are limited to 6. John knows better.
Quote from: Ken B on September 25, 2017, 11:39:55 AM
Karl
You seem to think that in a list of 6 you are limited to 6. John knows better.
;D
Quote from: Christo on September 24, 2017, 10:27:34 PM
Nothing really changed, though I would like to honourably mention:
...
Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
Ludwig van Beethoven
Dmitri Shostakovich
I like so much these choices, but they belong to the 19th century, and the Shostakovich's is against the rules :P
Quote from: SymphonicAddict on September 25, 2017, 04:28:13 PMI like so much these choices, but they belong to the 19th century, and the Shostakovich's is against the rules :P
Oops! I don't get these 'rules': I love Shosta 5 dearly, but it wouldn't have made it to my top 5, only to the first 10. As for Sibelius 5: my top 15. :D
Quote from: Christo on September 25, 2017, 10:05:14 PM
Oops! I don't get these 'rules': I love Shosta 5 dearly, but it wouldn't have made it to my top 5, only to the first 10. As for Sibelius 5: my top 15. :D
Yes, kindly pay attention.
8)
Quote from: vandermolen on January 16, 2017, 11:25:49 PM
Interesting choices - I especially like Glazunov although my favourite symphonies are 2,3,7,8 and the fragment of No.9 which I find very poignant. Must listen to the Hindemith and Kancheli.
One year after.
Did you end up listening to these?
If yes, I am especially interested in your opinion on Kancheli's, as I am quite partial to the Georgian composer.
Quote from: Overtones on October 25, 2018, 06:14:46 AM
One year after.
Did you end up listening to these?
If yes, I am especially interested in your opinion on Kancheli's, as I am quite partial to the Georgian composer.
I realise that I had the Kancheli on Olympia although I haven't listened to it recently. I think it's the one with the harpsichord. If so I enjoyed it although I find the abrupt shifts in volume rather disconcerting. I'm tempted to get the Ondine version which is available quite cheaply but just read a review which compares it adversely to the Olympia. Do you have a view on this? Haven't listened to the Hindemith yet ::)
PS I've just ordered the Ondine having been impressed by the opening of Symphony 5 on You Tube. I'll report back in due course. I recently I discovered 'Mourned by the Wind' which I thought was excellent.
I'd add Symphony 5 by Imants Kalnins (1979)
Quote from: vandermolen on October 28, 2018, 03:08:52 AM
I'd add Symphony 5 by Imants Kalnins (1979)
Quite a character! Rock star in Latvia and Politician!
Plus:
Quote ...often there is cause for speaking about epigones of Kalniņš. However, it is not in the sense of plagiaristic epigonism, but rather the mark of a powerful musical personality on his peers and their music.,,,
See:
https://www.musicabaltica.com/en/composers-and-authors/kalnins-imants/ (https://www.musicabaltica.com/en/composers-and-authors/kalnins-imants/)
Almost sounds like a Greek tragedy:
The Epigones of Kalnins ;)
Thanks for the recommendation: somebody new to investigate! 0:)
Quote from: Cato on October 28, 2018, 03:53:53 AM
Quite a character! Rock star in Latvia and Politician!
Plus:
See:
https://www.musicabaltica.com/en/composers-and-authors/kalnins-imants/ (https://www.musicabaltica.com/en/composers-and-authors/kalnins-imants/)
Almost sounds like a Greek tragedy: The Epigones of Kalnins ;)
Thanks for the recommendation: somebody new to investigate! 0:)
Suspect you'd enjoy it Leo.
😀
Quote from: vandermolen on October 28, 2018, 01:42:57 AM
I realise that I had the Kancheli on Olympia although I haven't listened to it recently. I think it's the one with the harpsichord. If so I enjoyed it although I find the abrupt shifts in volume rather disconcerting. I'm tempted to get the Ondine version which is available quite cheaply but just read a review which compares it adversely to the Olympia. Do you have a view on this? Haven't listened to the Hindemith yet ::)
PS I've just ordered the Ondine having been impressed by the opening of Symphony 5 on You Tube. I'll report back in due course. I recently I discovered 'Mourned by the Wind' which I thought was excellent.
I don't have a view on different recordings, sorry. I only listened to the youtube video.
Abrut shifts in volume are a signature of Kancheli's though.
Quote from: Overtones on October 29, 2018, 01:05:49 AM
I don't have a view on different recordings, sorry. I only listened to the youtube video.
Abrut shifts in volume are a signature of Kancheli's though.
Yes, that's true but listening again to Symphony 5 I appreciated the work much more or at least the sample that I heard. I've also rather liked James de Priest as a conductor so for about £5.00 I thought it worth investing in his set. I'll report back once I've received it. Not sure if I still have the Olympia CD.
Quote from: Overtones on October 29, 2018, 01:05:49 AM
I don't have a view on different recordings, sorry. I only listened to the youtube video.
Abrut shifts in volume are a signature of Kancheli's though.
I've just played the Ondine recording of Symphony 5 which
I found gripping, thought-provoking and moving. Thanks for alerting me to it.
No love for Hans?
https://www.youtube.com/v/648OWVmbEtU
Quote from: bwv 1080 on October 31, 2018, 05:26:31 AM
No love for Hans?
https://www.youtube.com/v/648OWVmbEtU
I know nothing by him other that the 'Raft of the Medusa' which is rather fine.
Quote from: bwv 1080 on October 31, 2018, 05:26:31 AM
No love for Hans?
https://www.youtube.com/v/648OWVmbEtU
I like Henze's No. 5, Sumera's No. 5, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies No. 5 (I think his most concise), Atterberg's No. 5, RVW No. 5, hell every damn No. 5.