Especially when composers who wrote a significant number of symphonies are concerned, and that you can identify each symphony very well.
For me, they are (I say 10):
Nielsen
Prokofiev
Tubin
Holmboe
Langgaard
Shostakovich
Mahler
Sibelius
Vaughan Williams
Beethoven
Hasn't this been done before?
Beethoven
Mahler
Brahms
Pettersson
Nielsen
Bruckner
Veinberg
Rubbra
Brian
Shostakovich
Bonus Entry: Bax
Chronologically-ish:
Haydn
Beethoven
Kalliwoda
Dvorak
Tchaikovsky
Sibelius
Nielsen
Shostakovich
Vaughan Williams
Rouse
Quote from: Brian on January 06, 2022, 09:42:37 AM
Haydn
This violates rule #2 of the OP, namely that you can identify each symphony very well.
Quick, what's the difference between Haydn's 17 and 34? Or his 26 and 52? :laugh:
Quote from: Florestan on January 06, 2022, 09:48:54 AM
This violates rule #2 of the OP, namely that you can identify each symphony very well.
Quick, what's the difference between Haydn's 17 and 34? Or his 26 and 52? :laugh:
26, 34 and 52 are all fairly memorable minor-key symphonies with easily recogniseable thematic ideas, so this probably wasn't the best choice of random numbers.
Quote from: amw on January 06, 2022, 09:54:12 AM
26, 34 and 52 are all fairly memorable minor-key symphonies with easily recogniseable thematic ideas, so this probably wasn't the best choice of random numbers.
The risk of randomization... Okay, how about 11 and 25? ;D
No. 11 starts with a beautiful slow movement vaguely reminiscent of Mozart's piano sonata K282, while No. 25 does not, although I remember not much else about the latter except that it was written earlier than its number suggests.
For me it's definitely harder to distinguish the first ~20 Mozart symphonies from one another than the first ~30 Haydn ones.
Quote from: Florestan on January 06, 2022, 09:48:54 AM
This violates rule #2 of the OP, namely that you can identify each symphony very well.
Quick, what's the difference between Haydn's 17 and 34? Or his 26 and 52? :laugh:
Defining "best symphonists" to deliberately exclude Haydn is like defining "best tennis players" to deliberately exclude Federer!
(Agreed with amw on the early Mozart vs. Haydn, by the way.)
Quote from: Brian on January 06, 2022, 10:09:06 AM
Defining "best symphonists" to deliberately exclude Haydn is like defining "best tennis players" to deliberately exclude Federer Novak Djokovic!
Fixed. ;D
Quote from: amw on January 06, 2022, 10:03:17 AM
No. 11 starts with a beautiful slow movement vaguely reminiscent of Mozart's piano sonata K282, while No. 25 does not, although I remember not much else about the latter except that it was written earlier than its number suggests.
I bow to your excellent memory.
As for myself, I can say with a fairly highh degree of accuracy that "this is a Haydn symphony" when I hear one, but except maybe ten of them, I can't name which one it is.
Okay, here's my list:
Haydn
Boccherini
Mozart
Schubert
Mendelssohn
Schumann
Dvorak
Tchaikovsky
Mahler
Rachmaninoff
Sibelius
In alphabetical order:
Bruckner
Dvořák
Mahler
Nielsen
Schubert
Schumann
Shostakovich
Sibelius
Taneyev
Tchaikovsky
Beethoven
Haydn
Mahler
Brahms
Bruckner
Mozart
Dvorak
Nielsen
Schumann
Sibelius
Quote from: Brian on January 06, 2022, 12:43:50 PM
;D ;D
To be fair, he excluded himself.
I beg to differ but let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that.
Havergal Brian
George Lloyd
Haydn
Bruckner
Mahler
Sibelius
Elgar
Dvorak
Vaughan Williams
Beethoven
I guess I'll thrown my picks into the ring:
In order:
1. Mahler
2. Sibelius
3. Bruckner
4. Shostakovich
5. Tchaikovsky
6. Dvořák
7. Vaughan Williams
8. Nielsen
9. Martinů
10. Ives
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 05, 2022, 08:12:02 PM
Hasn't this been done before?
With the aforementioned first indications, it hasn't! ;) ;D
And thanks for participating!
Quote from: springrite on January 06, 2022, 04:09:21 AM
Beethoven
Mahler
Brahms
Pettersson
Nielsen
Bruckner
Veinberg
Rubbra
Brian
Shostakovich
Bonus Entry: Bax
Bax, yes! And thumbs up for Bruckner, Rubbra and Weinberg, and Pettersson, of course! Not for everyone, but when you need cathartic moments, you look for your dose of Pettersson.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on January 06, 2022, 05:39:16 PM
With the aforementioned first indications, it hasn't! ;) ;D
And thanks for participating!
;D
Quote from: Brian on January 06, 2022, 09:42:37 AM
Chronologically-ish:
Haydn
Beethoven
Kalliwoda
Dvorak
Tchaikovsky
Sibelius
Nielsen
Shostakovich
Vaughan Williams
Rouse
Haydn, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky would make a second list. Indispensable composers for me, even though I don't listen to Haydn frequently.
Quote from: Florestan on January 06, 2022, 09:48:54 AM
This violates rule #2 of the OP, namely that you can identify each symphony very well.
Quick, what's the difference between Haydn's 17 and 34? Or his 26 and 52? :laugh:
Good observation, Andrei! :D
Quote from: amw on January 06, 2022, 09:54:12 AM
26, 34 and 52 are all fairly memorable minor-key symphonies with easily recogniseable thematic ideas, so this probably wasn't the best choice of random numbers.
Ok, let's say... 67, 36 and 2?
Quote from: amw on January 06, 2022, 10:03:17 AM
For me it's definitely harder to distinguish the first ~20 Mozart symphonies from one another than the first ~30 Haydn ones.
Same here.
Quote from: Florestan on January 06, 2022, 10:40:00 AM
Okay, here's my list:
Haydn
Boccherini
Mozart
Schubert
Mendelssohn
Schumann
Dvorak
Tchaikovsky
Mahler
Rachmaninoff
Sibelius
I'd like to read each description of the Boccherini, Mozart and Haydn. :P
Quote from: OrchestralNut on January 06, 2022, 11:41:47 AM
In alphabetical order:
Bruckner
Dvořák
Mahler
Nielsen
Schubert
Schumann
Shostakovich
Sibelius
Taneyev
Tchaikovsky
By Schumann I do love his even-numbered symphonies (2, 4), but I could live without the others. Marvelous choices the others, btw!
Quote from: Jo498 on January 06, 2022, 12:15:49 PM
Beethoven
Haydn
Mahler
Brahms
Bruckner
Mozart
Dvorak
Nielsen
Schumann
Sibelius
Very Austro-German-influenced, it's rather clear they dominated the "production" of symphonies like any other nations in Europe in the times of Haydn-Mahler.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 06, 2022, 02:52:11 PM
Havergal Brian
George Lloyd
Haydn
Bruckner
Mahler
Sibelius
Elgar
Dvorak
Vaughan Williams
Beethoven
classicalgeek would surely share this list with his.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 06, 2022, 05:15:23 PM
I guess I'll thrown my picks into the ring:
In order:
1. Mahler
2. Sibelius
3. Bruckner
4. Shostakovich
5. Tchaikovsky
6. Dvořák
7. Vaughan Williams
8. Nielsen
9. Martinů
10. Ives
Martinu is one of those indispensable composers IMO. There is simply much music in many musical forms and style by him. Inventiveness aplenty.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on January 06, 2022, 06:54:15 PM
Martinu is one of those indispensable composers IMO. There is simply much music in many musical forms and style by him. Inventiveness aplenty.
Yep, his music continues to astound me time and time again. Never get tired of him and, to be honest, when I first heard his music (his 1st symphony to be exact), I struggled with it. But it seems that the composers I struggle with but remain continuously curious or allured by end up becoming favorites of mine in the end. Strange how it all worked out like that for me.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on January 06, 2022, 06:38:48 PM
Ok, let's say... 67, 36 and 2?
67: Unique and memorable in every respect, and one of my favourite symphonies by anyone. Recommend just listening to it.
36: I believe this is the one with an extensive solo violin part in the slow movement, but don't remember very much else.
2: Yeah, don't remember anything musical about this one, just that either it or another one is believed to be his earliest symphony.
Anyway I guess I didn't provide a list, but it would be the usual suspects: Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Dvořák, Brahms, Martinů, Nielsen, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Hindemith. I don't feel quite comfortable putting anyone else in the same rank, even Shostakovich or Beethoven (or other composers whose symphonies have been important to me at various points in my life: Tippett, Gerhard, Simpson, Rubbra, Prokofiev, Nørgård etc.)
Shoot, I feel dumb for forgetting Martinu.
Haydn 67 is absolutely amazing. I second amw's comments.
Quote from: amw on January 06, 2022, 07:37:43 PM
I don't feel quite comfortable putting anyone else in the same rank, even Shostakovich or Beethoven
Heresy!
Just realized I haven't participated in this thread yet! I'm restricting myself to composers who wrote four or more symphonies (sorry, Elgar and Casella!) and whose symphonic output I consistently enjoy. In some sort of order:
1. Antonín Dvořák
2. Jean Sibelius
3. Kurt Atterberg
4. George Lloyd
5. Carl Nielsen
6. Ralph Vaughan Williams
7. Sergei Rachmaninoff (incl. The Bells to fit my quota)
8. Sergei Prokofiev
9. Joly Braga Santos
10. Arnold Bax/Malcolm Arnold (depending on the day ;))
Okay, it's not that different from my list of 10 favorite composers, but there's a few important observations to be made. Brahms and Saint-Saëns are amongst my 10 favorite composers, but I didn't include them here. With Brahms, I love his 3rd and 4th symphonies but can take or leave the first two; and with S-S, his Organ Symphony is one of my all-time favorites, but the rest are all relatively early works which are very enjoyable but not "meaty" enough to elevate him into the ranks of my favorite symphonists.
Quote from: kyjo on July 14, 2023, 07:26:03 AMJust realized I haven't participated in this thread yet! I'm restricting myself to composers who wrote four or more symphonies (sorry, Elgar and Casella!) and whose symphonic output I consistently enjoy. In some sort of order:
1. Antonín Dvořák
2. Jean Sibelius
3. Kurt Atterberg
4. George Lloyd
5. Carl Nielsen
6. Ralph Vaughan Williams
7. Sergei Rachmaninoff (incl. The Bells to fit my quota)
8. Sergei Prokofiev
9. Joly Braga Santos
10. Arnold Bax/Malcolm Arnold (depending on the day ;))
Okay, it's not that different from my list of 10 favorite composers, but there's a few important observations to be made. Brahms and Saint-Saëns are amongst my 10 favorite composers, but I didn't include them here. With Brahms, I love his 3rd and 4th symphonies but can take or leave the first two; and with S-S, his Organ Symphony is one of my all-time favorites, but the rest are all relatively early works which are very enjoyable but not "meaty" enough to elevate him into the ranks of my favorite symphonists.
Certainly a fair observation viz.
Saint-Saëns. And reckoning
The Bells as a Symphony is fair.
Restricting the list only to ten composers:
Mahler
Beethoven
Rachmaninov
Tchaikovsky
Mozart
Shostakovich
Nielsen
Sibelius
Brahms
Prokofiev
My pet peeve is these orchestral music lists about 'symphonies' as the term becomes way less relevant in the 20th century- I can list Stravinsky or Henze, but not Bartok, Messiaen or Takemitsu? so for large orchestral works:
Mahler
Mozart
Brahms
Stravinsky
Bartok
Messiaen
Lutoslawski
Dutilleux
Henze
Carter
Today's list:
Tubin
Holmboe
Nielsen
Sibelius
Shostakovich
Arnold
Haydn
Mahler
Dvorak
Martinu