Your Top 20 Favorite 20th Century Orchestral Works

[vandermolen]

Janácek: Glagolitic Mass
Nielsen: Symphony Nr. 4
Sibelius: Symphony Nr. 5
Shostakovich: Symphony Nr. 5
Bantock: A Celtic Symphony
Langgaard: Music of the Spheres
Glière: Symphony Nr. 3
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé
Respighi: Vetrate di Chiesa
Khachaturian: Symphony Nr. 2
Madetoja: Symphony Nr. 2
Miaskovsky: Symphony Nr. 17
Stravinsky: Rite of Spring
Atterberg: Symphony Nr. 3
Prokofiev: Symphony Nr. 5
Hindemith: Symphony in E-flat
Holmboe: Symphony Nr. 8
Barber: Second Essay for orchestra
Lutoslawski: Cello concerto
Weinberg: Cello concerto

I would agree with almost every one of these choices! We have very similar tastes. Miaskovsky's Symphony 17 is arguably his greaest although I chose No.6 (the longest) and might just as well have chosen No.21 (the shortest). The Barber is my favourite work by him. I'd probably have gone for Prokofiev Symphony 6 but the slow movement of No.5 is very special. Still, terrific choices.

[vandermolen]

Alwyn: Lyra Angelica
Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
Boulez: Répons
Debussy: La Mer
Finzi: Romance for String Orchestra

Glass: Koyaanisqatsi
Grisey: Partiels, Modulations, Transitoires, Épilogue (from Espaces Acoustiques)
Ives: Symphony No. 4
Ligeti: Lontano
Magnard: Symphony No. 4

Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
Ruggles: Sun-Treader
Schoenberg: Five Pieces for Orchestra
Sibelius: Symphony No. 7

Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps
Takemitsu: From Me Flows What You Call Time
Vasks: Violin Concerto "Distant Light"
Webern: Six Pieces for Orchestra

Great to see a vote for the Alwyn and Magnard.

[James]

some cherished music, I passionately advocate, off the top ..

Debussy, Jeux
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring & many, many others
Shostakovich, Violin Concerto
Strauss, 4 Last Songs
Bartok, Piano Concertos & many others
Ravel, Rapsodie, La Valse & others
Holst, The Planets
Webern, Symphony
Rodrigo, Concierto de Aranjuez
Berg, Violin Concerto
Tippett, Piano Concerto
Messaien, Et exspecto
Stockhausen, Gruppen
Ligeti, Melodien
Birtwistle, Secret Theatre
Dutilleux, Cello Concerto & others
Gubaidulina, Offertorium

[nathanb]

See, this is a toughy for me. I still feel a sort of social pressure to include late romantic symphonies, but I would so much rather it be all about the wonderful post-1950 works that not everyone knows. Yes, I like Mahler, Sibelius, and Nielsen too.

[Karl Henning]

See, this is a toughy for me. I still feel a sort of social pressure to include late romantic symphonies, but I would so much rather it be all about the wonderful post-1950 works that not everyone knows. Yes, I like Mahler, Sibelius, and Nielsen too.

No one said it would be easy 

[Mahlerian]

Mahler: Symphony No. 6 (1904)
Webern: Passacaglia (1908)
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe (1912)
Debussy: Jeux (1912)
Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra (1915)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 2 (1925)
Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 1 (1926)
Copland: Short Symphony (1933)
Schoenberg: Violin Concerto (1934)
Stravinsky: Symphony in C (1940)
Sessions: Symphony No. 2 (1946)
Messiaen: Oiseaux exotiques (1955)
Stockhausen: Gruppen (1957)
Ligeti: Atmospheres (1961)
Babbitt: Correspondences (1967)
Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden (1977)
Gubaidulina: Offertorium (1980)
Boulez: Notations I-IV (1984)
Kurtag: Stele (1994)
Carter: Symphonia Sum fluxae pretium spei (1995)


That was difficult.  Several of the works I've chosen are not even my favorite orchestral piece by a given composer, but I wanted a mostly even representation of the entire span of the century...(and many apologies to Sibelius!)

Some other composers, like Janacek, were left off because they did far better work in chamber, vocal, or operatic music.

[Karl Henning]

Mahler: Symphony No. 6 (1904)
Webern: Passacaglia (1908)
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe (1912)
Debussy: Jeux (1912)
Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra (1915)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 2 (1925)
Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 1 (1926)
Copland: Short Symphony (1933)
Schoenberg: Violin Concerto (1934)
Stravinsky: Symphony in C (1940)
Sessions: Symphony No. 2 (1946)
Messiaen: Oiseaux exotiques (1955)
Stockhausen: Gruppen (1957)
Ligeti: Atmospheres (1961)
Babbitt: Correspondences (1967)
Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden (1977)
Gubaidulina: Offertorium (1980)
Boulez: Notations I-IV (1984)
Kurtag: Stele (1994)
Carter: Symphonia Sum fluxae pretium spei (1995)


That was difficult.  Several of the works I've chosen are not even my favorite orchestral piece by a given composer, but I wanted a mostly even representation of the entire span of the century...(and many apologies to Sibelius!)

Some other composers, like Janacek, were left off because they did far better work in chamber, vocal, or operatic music.

I enjoyed your list, and I enjoyed your notes. A number of people have included concertante works. I am not saying either that they were wrong to do so, nor that my list would have been at all easier had I done so. 

In some threads, you look at the lists which others compile, and you hope to find duplication of your own choices., thinking, Oh, here's someone who agrees. In this thread, however, I rejoice to find works in the lists of others for which I had no room in my own.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Mahlerian]

I enjoyed your list, and I enjoyed your notes.

Thank you.  I enjoy the notes signified by my list!

A number of people have included concertante works. I am not saying either that they were wrong to do so, nor that my list would have been at all easier had I done so. 

In some threads, you look at the lists which others compile, and you hope to find duplication of your own choices., thinking, Oh, here's someone who agrees. In this thread, however, I rejoice to find works in the lists of others for which I had no room in my own.

Indeed.  It was a rich century, and there are plenty of strands which I admire but left off my own list for one reason or another.  There certainly was fine music written by Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Nono, Berio, Saariaho, and others that I couldn't fit in here, without intending anything negative about their works.

[nathanb]

Top 20 Favorite 21st Century Orchestral Works would be much easier.

[vandermolen]

I enjoyed your list, and I enjoyed your notes. A number of people have included concertante works. I am not saying either that they were wrong to do so, nor that my list would have been at all easier had I done so. 

In some threads, you look at the lists which others compile, and you hope to find duplication of your own choices., thinking, Oh, here's someone who agrees. In this thread, however, I rejoice to find works in the lists of others for which I had no room in my own.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I enjoyed looking at Mahlerian's list for the same reason. Apart from the Mahler and Ravel and a few others I know very few of the works there although I think that these are the works that I should get to know better.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Top 20 Favorite 21st Century Orchestral Works would be much easier.

I agree.  I found it rather difficult to exclude some terrific pieces just because they were a few years too recent......

[Sergeant Rock]

Havergal Brian Symphony No.1 "Gothic"
Vaughan Williams Symphony No.4
George Lloyd Symphony No.7
Berg Violin Concerto
Schoenberg Serenade op.24

Roy Harris Symphony no.3
Mahler Symphony No.6
Nielsen Symphony No.3
Sibelius Symphony No.5
Elgar Symphony No.1

Ruggles Sun-treader
Shostakovich Symphony No.15
Prokofiev Symphony No.7
Stravinsky Le sacre du printemps
Debussy La mer (dedicated to Ken B  )

Schmidt Symphony No.1
Janacek Sinfonietta
Herrmann Symphony
Korngold Symphony in F sharp major
Ives Symphony No.2


Sarge

[SymphonicAddict]

I would agree with almost every one of these choices! We have very similar tastes. Miaskovsky's Symphony 17 is arguably his greaest although I chose No.6 (the longest) and might just as well have chosen No.21 (the shortest). The Barber is my favourite work by him. I'd probably have gone for Prokofiev Symphony 6 but the slow movement of No.5 is very special. Still, terrific choices.

Yes, I have noticed that too. Additionally, we are both great fans of the symphonies, especially the late-Romantic ones.

On the other hand, I have seen great examples of other participants here that I could not include, but it is also very refreshing to see other compositions that are not so familiar with me.

[Mirror Image]

Top 20 Favorite 21st Century Orchestral Works would be much easier.

For you, I'm sure.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

For you, I'm sure.

Well, there aren't as many to choose from, making it easy to pick 20 I suppose.......

[Karl Henning]

And it gives the Henning First a shot!  0:)

[nathanb]

For you, I'm sure.

For everybody. Fewer choices = easier choices. That's just how it goes.

[Mirror Image]

For everybody. Fewer choices = easier choices. That's just how it goes.

Considering that most of my classical leanings are late 19th to mid 20th Centuries, it would be a difficult list for me to make without question.

[vandermolen]

Yes, I have noticed that too. Additionally, we are both great fans of the symphonies, especially the late-Romantic ones.

On the other hand, I have seen great examples of other participants here that I could not include, but it is also very refreshing to see other compositions that are not so familiar with me.

Yes, I very much agree. I've enjoyed looking at all the lists.

[vandermolen]

Havergal Brian Symphony No.1 "Gothic"
Vaughan Williams Symphony No.4
George Lloyd Symphony No.7
Berg Violin Concerto
Schoenberg Serenade op.24

Roy Harris Symphony no.3
Mahler Symphony No.6
Nielsen Symphony No.3
Sibelius Symphony No.5
Elgar Symphony No.1

Ruggles Sun-treader
Shostakovich Symphony No.15
Prokofiev Symphony No.7
Stravinsky Le sacre du printemps
Debussy La mer (dedicated to Ken B  )

Schmidt Symphony No.4
Janacek Sinfonietta
Herrmann Symphony
Korngold Symphony in F sharp major
Ives Symphony No.2


Sarge

This could have been, more or less, my list too although I need to get my head round the Berg Violin Concerto. Great to see the Herrmann and Korngold symphonies here. I wonder if Sir Donald Tovey's Symphony will feature in the future.