Six favourite last symphonies.

[Maestro267]

Yes it was definitely your mistake. You've missed out on one of the most enjoyable, life-affirming symphony cycles ever written. I don't get this despicable, ridiculous idea that people have of dismissing a composer because, to them, they sound like another composer they've already heard. What if fate had it that you discovered Lloyd's music before RVW's? You're not going to be able to give the correct answer there, because your brain's already been tuned to give the wrong answer, based on what, sadly, has actually happened.

Music would be a much healthier place if there were more composers to choose from. But sadly, some buffoons at the BBC (the Controllers of The Standard Repertoire™) decided otherwise.

[vandermolen]

All absolute personal favourites, except for the Lloyd - that I don't even now. Was it my mistake not to play him after a superficial encounter about fourty years ago, already an admirer of RVW, when I found Lloyd an outdated Romantic and didn't bother to hear more? Please tell me how wrong I've been. 

I enjoyed the Lyrita LPs. Symphony 8 was the first. I even saw Lloyd conduct Symphony 11 in London and exchanged some correspondence with him (not as impressive I know as your weekly tea party with Vagn Holmboe  ). My recommendations for Lloyd are the epic Symphony 4 and the poetic No.7. I also like 5, 8,11 and 12.

[SymphonicAddict]

I enjoyed the Lyrita LPs. Symphony 8 was the first. I even saw Lloyd conduct Symphony 11 in London and exchanged some correspondence with him (not as impressive I know as your weekly tea party with Vagn Holmboe  ). My recommendations for Lloyd are the epic Symphony 4 and the poetic No.7. I also like 5, 8,11 and 12.

I agree with you about those symphonies by Lloyd, yet the 7th symphony didn't impress me so much, but it's enjoyable.

[vandermolen]

My new list - with reasons:

Miaskovsky: Symphony 27 - the composer was terminally ill and in disgrace along with Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Shebalin and Popov following the denouncement of their music in 1948. And yet, the last movement is a kind of inspiriting paen to life as if, knowing that he would not live to see it, Miaskovsky welcomes the return of Spring after the Winter. He was posthumously awarded the Stalin Prize for the 27th Symphony. I find that last movement and the valedictory (IMO) slow movement intensely moving.

Vaughan Williams: Symphony 9 - defiantly staring death in the face. Those final looming chords and the harps at the end are very moving.

Shostakovich: Symphony 15. The final return, against a darkening background, of the tik-too percussion pattern from the withdrawn 4th Symphony at the end is (IMO) a final act of defiance from Shostakovich against those forces who had oppressed him throughout his life as he moved beyond their reach.

Bruckner: Symphony 9 - 'complete in its incompleteness' maybe a cliched comment on this work but true I think.

Bax: Symphony 7 (especially as conducted by Raymond Leppard) contains a most heartbreakingly beautiful 'Epilogue' bringing Bax's cycle of seven symphonies to a tranquil close. The 7th along with the 4th is often seen as the weakest of the Bax symphonies, but I prefer both to the more highly regarded No.6.

Glazunov: Symphony 9 (fragment). Only one movement exists of this work and that was completed by someone else. However, I find its sadness and melancholy very touching and characteristic and with that Glazunov had been able to complete the work.

Feel bad about leaving out Tchaikovsky's 'Pathetique' but there you go.

[relm1]

Sibelius 7
RVW 9
Mahler 9
Mahler 10
Shostakovich 15
Prokofiev 7

My commentary on the above list is one of things that makes a great last symphony isn't the symphony, it's the culmination of all that comes before.  So my list can also be called my favorite symphony cycles.

[vandermolen]

Sibelius 7
RVW 9
Mahler 9
Mahler 10
Shostakovich 15
Prokofiev 7

My commentary on the above list is one of things that makes a great last symphony isn't the symphony, it's the culmination of all that comes before.  So my list can also be called my favorite symphony cycles.

Thank you Karim for the list and for your interesting comment. Also, at least, count me in as an admirer of Prokofiev's Symphony 7 (especially the 'quiet ending' version) and both Mahler symphonies, as well as, of course, VW. Much as I like Sibelius's 7th Symphony it is Tapiola which has an even greater effect on me.

[Biffo]

A fairly predictable line-up but these are the 'last symphonies' I have listened to most over the years.

Mozart 41
Beethoven 9
Brahms 4
Mahler 9
Tchaikovsky 6
Dvorak 9

[vandermolen]

A fairly predictable line-up but these are the 'last symphonies' I have listened to most over the years.

Mozart 41
Beethoven 9
Brahms 4
Mahler 9
Tchaikovsky 6
Dvorak 9

Thanks For the list Biffo. Count me in for Tchaikovsky and Mahler. I don't listen to much Brahms but really enjoyed the Second Piano Concerto ( or at least the last movement) on the radio yesterday.

[Christo]

Tchaikovsky: Symphonie Pathetique
Nielsen: Sinfonia semplice 
Honegger: Symphony No. 5 'Di tre re'
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 9
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15
Holmboe: Symphony No. 13

Forgot Arnold: Symphony No. 9 and should add now the Symphonie concertante (1962) by Hendrik Andriessen.

[SymphonicAddict]

My new list - with reasons:

Miaskovsky: Symphony 27 - the composer was terminally ill and in disgrace along with Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Shebalin and Popov following the denouncement of their music in 1948. And yet, the last movement is a kind of inspiriting paen to life as if, knowing that he would not live to see it, Miaskovsky welcomes the return of Spring after the Winter. He was posthumously awarded the Stalin Prize for the 27th Symphony. I find that last movement and the valedictory (IMO) slow movement intensely moving.

Vaughan Williams: Symphony 9 - defiantly staring death in the face. Those final looming chords and the harps at the end are very moving.

Shostakovich: Symphony 15. The final return, against a darkening background, of the tik-too percussion pattern from the withdrawn 4th Symphony at the end is (IMO) a final act of defiance from Shostakovich against those forces who had oppressed him throughout his life as he moved beyond their reach.

Bruckner: Symphony 9 - 'complete in its incompleteness' maybe a cliched comment on this work but true I think.

Bax: Symphony 7 (especially as conducted by Raymond Leppard) contains a most heartbreakingly beautiful 'Epilogue' bringing Bax's cycle of seven symphonies to a tranquil close. The 7th along with the 4th is often seen as the weakest of the Bax symphonies, but I prefer both to the more highly regarded No.6.

Glazunov: Symphony 9 (fragment). Only one movement exists of this work and that was completed by someone else. However, I find its sadness and melancholy very touching and characteristic and with that Glazunov had been able to complete the work.

Feel bad about leaving out Tchaikovsky's 'Pathetique' but there you go.

Very interesting to read, Jeffrey. The Bax is the work I'm familiar with the least. You mentioned some cycles I should revisit in the future time (except the Bruckner and the Glazunov, which I did some months ago).

[SymphonicAddict]

An update is needed:

Nielsen 6
Martinu 6
Mahler 9+10 1st mov. (I'm cheating here)
Brahms 4
VW 9

As before, the last choice is the most difficult one: It could be either Bruckner 9 or Shostakovich 15

[vandermolen]

An update is needed:

Nielsen 6
Martinu 6
Mahler 9+10 1st mov. (I'm cheating here)
Brahms 4
VW 9

As before, the last choice is the most difficult one: It could be either Bruckner 9 or Shostakovich 15

Interesting choices Cesar. I like all those works and good to see the Martinu and Nielsen mentioned. Honegger's 5th Symphony 'The Three D's' is another one I relate to.

[schnittkease]

Here's 6 more not on my first list:

Davies 10
Henze 10
Lajtha 9
Lutosławski 4
Nørgård 8
Toch 7

[Roasted Swan]

Dvorak 9
Elgar 2 (or 3.....!)
DSCH 15
Tchaik 6
Arnold 9

[vandermolen]

Dvorak 9
Elgar 2 (or 3.....!)
DSCH 15
Tchaik 6
Arnold 9

I really like Elgar 3

[Roasted Swan]

I really like Elgar 3

I went to the 1st performance at London's RFH.  It was really rather wonderful to hear a premiere of a major score by a major composer who'd been dead for 80 years.  The debate will rumble on about how "authentic" or not it is - frankly I don't care - for me it stands up as a rather wonderful piece all on its own whether its by Elgar, Anthony Payne or both!

[vandermolen]

I went to the 1st performance at London's RFH.  It was really rather wonderful to hear a premiere of a major score by a major composer who'd been dead for 80 years.  The debate will rumble on about how "authentic" or not it is - frankly I don't care - for me it stands up as a rather wonderful piece all on its own whether its by Elgar, Anthony Payne or both!

Very much my view as well and an inspired choice to use 'The Waggon Passes' from the Nursery Suite for the conclusion.

[kyjo]

Limiting myself to composers who wrote 4 or more complete symphonies:

Bruckner 9
Magnard 4
Prokofiev 7
Schmidt 4
Sibelius 7
Taneyev 4

[André]

Schubert 9
Bruckner 9
Mahler 9
Brahms 4
Arnold 9
Shostakovich 15
Tchaikovsky 6

It's really hard to leave out obvious favourites like Haydn 104, Beethoven 9, Schumann 4 (actually not his last symphony), Tchaikovsky 6 and Sibelius 7. But that's just a game, so no harm done 

I'll replace Arnold 9 by Tchaikovsky 6. I think Arnold is best represented by his 5th and 7th symphonies.

[springrite]

Bax: Symphony 7 (especially as conducted by Raymond Leppard) contains a most heartbreakingly beautiful 'Epilogue' bringing Bax's cycle of seven symphonies to a tranquil close. The 7th along with the 4th is often seen as the weakest of the Bax symphonies, but I prefer both to the more highly regarded No.6.

Oh I love the Bax 7! You are not alone in this!