Greatest Brahms Symphony

[Bulldog]

BTW, I have a slow-burn project to find the point at which Schumann actually did go downhill.  I haven't yet heard that, in the late works that I've gotten to know in recent years.  Help a chap out? 

Okay - let's pick a date.  I'll go with September 12, 1840.

[karlhenning]

 

[val]

The 4th.

[eyeresist]

FOUR.

But why can't I see the poll results?

BTW, the violin concerto is one of Schumann's works that does not suck.

[DavidW]

In my state of tiredness I thought we were discussing Schumann and so voted for the 2nd.   For Brahms, my fav is actually the 4th.

[karlhenning]

BTW, the violin concerto is one of Schumann's works that does not suck.

Among other things, then, a vote for that not being any Going Downhill.

[DavidW]

In my state of tiredness I thought we were discussing Schumann and so voted for the 2nd.   For Brahms, my fav is actually the 4th.

I just realized that I made another booboo.  I said "favorite" on the thread that obstinately says "greatest" in the presence of a still active "favorite" thread... which means I'll probably be yelled at for failing to realize how insanely important the distinction is.

[karlhenning]

No, no yelling today, David.

[Sef]

FOUR.

But why can't I see the poll results?

BTW, the violin concerto is one of Schumann's works that does not suck.

All will be revealed on the 16th! (At least I hope it will - I've not done one of these before).

[Sef]

All will be revealed on the 16th! (At least I hope it will - I've not done one of these before).

So here are the results - happy?

[karlhenning]

That No. 2 crawled in last (notwithstanding its musical merits) I do not find any surprise.

I find it hard to believe that more people esteem the First than the Third.  That's got dangling chads written all over it 

[Herman]

It's possible - Schumann went downhill. 

Myth alert.

I see Karl queried this notion too. Schumann's Symphony nr 4 is a wonderful, innovative work, and it's quite late.

[Brian]

I find it hard to believe that more people esteem the First than the Third.  That's got dangling chads written all over it 

Indeed. I suppose that's the lingering Beethovenian crowd making its statement.

[rappy]

I picked the 4th, but the 1st would have been my second choice, and it was a very close decision. IMO the first offers the biggest and most stirring adventure.

[Sergeant Rock]

I see Karl queried this notion too. Schumann's Symphony nr 4 is a wonderful, innovative work, and it's quite late.

The revised version of the Fourth has a late opus number but the original score was completed just seven months after the First Symphony in 1841. The revision doesn't change the music much; it's primarily a reorchestration. I think the Fourth should be considered one of his early orchestral works.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

BTW, I have a slow-burn project to find the point at which Schumann actually did go downhill.  I haven't yet heard that, in the late works that I've gotten to know in recent years.  Help a chap out? 

I can't help you, Karl. I find Schumann's late works fascinating, and not exhibiting a loss of skill or inspiration. I also prefer the original early works to his revised versions...like the Fourth Symphony, and the Davidsbündlertänze and Kreisleriana. They exhibit an eccentricity that was always part of Schumann's musical personality. I love the Mass and the Requiem, the Violin Sonatas, Gesänge der Frühe, Märchenerzählungen for piano, clarinet and viola. Of course it's possible that I'm as insane as he was 

Sarge

[Bulldog]

Myth alert.

I see Karl queried this notion too. Schumann's Symphony nr 4 is a wonderful, innovative work, and it's quite late.

I agree about Schumann's 4th but continue to maintain that Schumann wrote his best music in the 1830's.  The police are no match for the Bulldog.

[eyeresist]

I find it hard to believe that more people esteem the First than the Third.  That's got dangling chads written all over it 

Well, any fule noes that the 1st's finale has a great tune.

[Mandryka]

It's interesting to see such agreement about the greatness of the 4th.

Can someone explain why? -- I've just never enjoyed it myself as much as the first two,

The first is tragic. The second is beautiful.

But the fourth -- what is it that I'm not hearing? That I'm failing to respond to?

[Opus106]

It's tragically beautiful. Not that I'm saying it's the greatest or anything. It's my favourite, though.