Most beautiful opening of a symphony (three allowed)

[vandermolen]

Apologies if we've done this before. Please interpret 'beauty' as you wish.

Langgaard: Sinfonia Interna

Gorecki: Symphony 3 ('Sorrowful Songs')

Rautavaara: Symphony 8 'The Journey'

[Mirror Image]

Oh man...let's see (in no particular order):

Sibelius: Symphony No. 6
Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2

[NikF]

One that immediately has come to mind is Symphony No. 1 by Martinu. It's maybe lacking subtlety and can perhaps even be considered a little brusque, yet I find it strangely beautiful.

[vandermolen]

Thanks guys!

Sinfonia Interna (Langgaard) opening - so beautiful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0n_kpc3b58&list=PL19C8454E80F43115

[Sergeant Rock]

Brahms 2
Vaughan Williams 8
Bruckner 7

[Rinaldo]

One that immediately has come to mind is Symphony No. 1 by Martinu. It's maybe lacking subtlety and can perhaps even be considered a little brusque, yet I find it strangely beautiful.

Good one! It is beautiful. And his 4th has a lovely intro as well.

Anyway, LvB's 9th. Yeah, I have the most original insights on this board.

[SharpEleventh]

Bruckner 7 & Sibelius 7

[ritter]

Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Mahler Symphony No.9
Carter A Symphony of Three Orchestras

[Brian]

Sibelius 6
Vaughan Williams 3
Haydn 92

Hon. Mention: Brahms 4

[springrite]

Mahler 9
Mahler 1
Franck

[Keep Going]

That was a very nice Langgard, even if it doesn't belong to his catalogue of 16 symphonies. 

Here are three more potential candidates:

Rautavaara: Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light"

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor

Part: Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles"

[Marc]

Today:

Beethoven 4
Bruckner 4
Mahler 4

[some guy]

Gerhard, Collages (Symphony no. 3)
Dhomont, Frankenstein Symphony
Z'ev, Symphony no. 2

[ahinton]

Schmidt 4
Shostakovich 11
Liszt: A Faust Symphony
Magnard 3
Magnard 4
Wetz 1
Wetz 3
Szymanowski 2
Szymanowski 3
Lutosławski 4
Karłowicz
d'Indy 2
d'Indy 3

There's my baker's dozen (for now! - far too many from which to choose)...

Oh, damn! It has to be just three. OK, well, from the above, the Shostakovich, the Liszt and the Lutosławski, then...

[North Star]

Brahms 4
Dvořák 8
Sibelius 6

[Jo498]

most gripping: Beethoven's Eroica
most exhilarating: Mendelssohn's Italian
most serene: Bruckner's 7th
most mysterious: Bruckner's 9th (but he got it from Beethoven, of course) and Schubert b minor
most "natural": Mahler's 1st
most lonely: Mahler's 9th

[ludwigii]

William Walton 1

[Androcles]

Part: Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles"

Good choice. For me, add Bruckner 4 and RVW 5.

[vandermolen]

Oh man...let's see (in no particular order):

Sibelius: Symphony No. 6
Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2

All great choices John. Sibelius's 6th Symphony, I agree has a most beautiful, poetic and atmospheric opening. I think that it was Vaughan Williams's favourite of the Sibelius symphonies.

[vandermolen]

Have been out today and returned to read these fascinating replies - thank you. 
Can't wait to hear the 'Frankenstein Symphony' - actually I don't know any of some guy's recommendations. Agree about VW symphonies 8 (magical opening) and 3. His No.5 could be another choice. Cesar Franck's First Symphony has one of the most imposing openings and Walton's No.1, which I love, emerges from the mists. I take the point about my Langgaard choice of 'Sinfonia Interna' not being one of his numbered symphonies - but I couldn't not include it as it possibly has the most beautiful opening of any work I know. The Mahler Symphony 1 is a great choice too and I could have included Rautavaara's 'Angel of Light' instead of 'The Journey'. Have recently been listening to Schmidt Symphony 4 (Mehta) which does indeed have a most haunting and eloquent opening (and closing for that matter).