GMG's Greatest Symphony Poll of 2017

[vandermolen]

Boy is this a tough one.

10 - Beethoven: Symphony No 8
9 - Brahms: Symphony No 4
8 - Dvorak: Symphony No 8
7 - Haydn: Symphony No 92
6 - Bruckner: Symphony No 7
5 - Sibelius: Symphony No 7
4 - Beethoven: Symphony No 7
3 - Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 3
2 - Schubert: Symphony No 8 in C (a.k.a. "9")
1 - Haydn: Symphony No 80

I thought about throwing the bottom 3 to symphonies nobody else will vote for, just so that somebody voted for them. I did ultimately vote strategically (for instance, I thought Beethoven 3 was doing just fine and wanted to make sure 8 got some love).

Interesting about the VW. The writer and composer's friend Michael Kennedy, regarded it as his best as, I think, does Christo here. I'll stick with No.6 which combines the violence of No.4 with the spiritual qualities of No.5 to create a very disturbing but incredibly thought-provoking synthesis. The Epilogue, described on my old LP as 'an eerie progression through a bleak wasteland' is unlike anything else I know in music.

[Brian]

Interesting about the VW. The writer and composer's friend Michael Kennedy, regarded it as his best as, I think, does Christo here. I'll stick with No.6 which combines the violence of No.4 with the spiritual qualities of No.5 to create a very disturbing but incredibly thought-provoking synthesis. The Epilogue, described on my old LP as 'an eerie progression through a bleak wasteland' is unlike anything else I know in music.

That was a case of "voting strategically". I prefer No. 5 (barely), but saw that somebody else had voted for it, and wanted another symphony to get some love in the final list.

[AnthonyAthletic]

It does change from year to year, but most remain the same.

Counting up from 1 to 10.

Mahler : Symphony No.9
Bruckner : Symphony No.8
Shostakovich : Symphony No.11 - One of the finest, descriptive, event happening Symphonies I know!
Beethoven : Symphony No.9
Vaughan Williams : Symphony No.5
Gorecki : Symphony No.3
Sauguet : Symphony No.2 'Allegorique'
Shostakovich : Symphony No.5
Atterburg : Symphony No.1
Mozart : Symphony No.41 'Jupiter'

[TheGSMoeller]

23 lists contributed so far, can we reach 30 in one more day??? 

[Brian]

23 lists contributed so far, can we reach 30 in one more day??? 

Looking at the list so far...you might want to alert the Havergal Brian thread about this thread...

[North Star]

Looking at the list so far...you might want to alert the Havergal Brian thread about this thread...

Nah. Tell them once the results are in! 

[Ken B]

Sibelius 7
Stravinsky C
Simpson 9
Beethoven 3
Bruckner 9
Brahms 4
Schubert 9
Saint-Saens 3
Mozart 40

One space kept for oversights.

That's 10 on top Greg, so 10 for Cy Balius, down to 2 for Wolfie.
I kept a slot open and while Beeth 7 really belongs in the top 3 or 4 I will vote strategically

Barber -- 1 point (for the only symphony, often mislabeled as #1)

[TheGSMoeller]

That's 10 on top Greg, so 10 for Cy Balius, down to 2 for Wolfie.
I kept a slot open and while Beeth 7 really belongs in the top 3 or 4 I will vote strategically

Barber -- 1 point (for the only symphony, often mislabeled as #1)

I got ya, Ken. And Mr. Balius' 7th has been well represented in the poll.

[Karl Henning]

And quite right.

[Ken B]

I got ya, Ken. And Mr. Balius' 7th has been well represented in the poll.

And quite right.

It is right! You can still change your list to vote for it Karl ... 
Not so many votes for Igor's C 
Where's GhostSonata to toss in another vote for the Simpson??

[Karl Henning]

I felt I had to get № 6 in there, and I stand by it!

[Ken B]

I felt I had to get № 6 in there, and I stand by it!

Only a very tiny error I must admit!

[Brian]

Only a very tiny error I must admit!

Hang on, revising my ballot to add Peter Mennin's Eighth

[Ken B]

Hang on, revising my ballot to add Peter Mennin's Eighth

LOL

Crying for your soul, but laughing too!

[Christo]

Interesting about the VW. The writer and composer's friend Michael Kennedy, regarded it as his best as, I think, does Christo here. I'll stick with No.6 which combines the violence of No.4 with the spiritual qualities of No.5 to create a very disturbing but incredibly thought-provoking synthesis. The Epilogue, described on my old LP as 'an eerie progression through a bleak wasteland' is unlike anything else I know in music.

Funnily enough, I totally agree with you; yet can never choose between the Pastoral and No. 6, my two favourites ex aequo (and Nos. 9, 8 and 5 close behind). Nos. 3 and 6 of course the two most dissimilar of the whole cycle, though both 'war symphonies'. I think I'll post them here and add No. 9. 

[Karl Henning]

Hang on, revising my ballot to add Peter Mennin's Eighth

I love this man.

[SimonNZ]

10. Beethoven 3
9. Messiaen Turangalila-Symphonie
8. Ives 4
7. Haydn 100
6. Henze 10
5. Mahler 9
4. Coates, G. 14
3. Martinu 4
2. Norgard 3
1. Schnittke 2

[TheGSMoeller]

More great lists! I'll extend it until end of Sunday now, seems like there are still a few who might want to post.

[Christo]

Some extra points for some symphonies not mentioned here before:

10 - Vaughan Williams: No. 6
9 - Vaughan Williams: No. 3 ('A Pastoral')
8 – Vaughan Williams: No. 9
7 – Holmboe: No. 8 ('Boreale')
6 – Tubin: No. 6
5 – Brian: No. 1 ('Gothic')
4 – Nielsen: No. 5
3 – Shostakovich: No. 15
2 – Arnold: No. 9
1 – Braga Santos: No. 3

[ritter]

Hope I'm not too late:

10. Beethoven 7
9. Mahler 9
8. Beethoven 9
7. Buckner 9
6. Schubert 9 (traditional numbering, I.e. "The Great")
5. Berio Sinfonia
4. Haydn 92
3. Mozart 41
2. Carter A Symphony of Three Orchestras
1. E. Halffter Sinfonietta

Regards,