Favourite symphony no. 3

[Cosi bel do]

I don't exactly know why, but there are numbers that seem to be perfect synonyms of greatness. Apart from 9, it is the case of 3 for instance...

Of course this is a selection, don't hesitate to give another one if it's your favourite

It's great that we can do many polls with that same idea

[North Star]

I suppose Stravinsky's Symphony in C is his no. 3.

Quite a few I'd like to see on the list: Dvořák, Schnittke, Lutoslawski, Prokofiev, Schuman, Mendelssohn, Hartmann, Ives, Rakhmaninov, Nielsen, Szymanowski.

Eroica is probably the greatest one, but I'll vote Brahms.

[Cosi bel do]

Oh you're right, I'll add at least Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Nielsen. I can't put 20 of them though, or should I ?

[North Star]

Oh you're right, I'll add at least Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Nielsen. I can't put 20 of them though, or should I ?

Well, why not, people will still pick the LvB.  0:)

[Cosi bel do]

Okay I added a few of them, others can still be mentioned in the thread but I don't think they have a chance to win

I did reset the votes though, so if you have already, please vote again !

[Jo498]

Now that's much easier for me. Beethoven's Eroica by a considerable margin, than maybe Brahms and Mendelssohn. I prefer Bruckner's to the more famous 4th although I have not really sorted out the different versions of #3 and formed opinions on them
Schumann's Rhenish is for me an interesting but flawed piece with a great first movement a nice folksy second one and very interesting brass chorale cologne cathedral 4th movement, but a trivial andante intermezzo and rather pointless finale, so it does not really make a convincing whole for me.
Mahler's 3rd is just too long for me, I never really got into the piece, despite a few nice bits.
Don't much care for Tchaik, Sibelius and Saint Saens at this number...

EDIT: Rachmaninoff's, Scriabin's, Prokofieff's and Ives' I have only heard a few times each and don't really know them. But I completely forgot Nielsen's which is a very cool piece although his 4th and 5th are understandably more famous. It is also one of the few pieces where I find the vocalizing voices haunting, not silly. It would probably be one of my top 5 3rd symphonies.

[mszczuj]

Beethoven

[Cosi bel do]

Khachaturian is one of my favourites actually, I was dumb to forget him and added him without changing the votes.

[Brian]

Personal favourites, in order!

1. Beethoven
2. Sibelius
3. Dvorak
4. Mahler
5. Roussel
6. Nielsen
7. Brahms
8. Gliere
9. Martinu
10. Schumann
HONOURABLE MENTION: Atterberg (finale only)

EDIT: OH DANG IT I FORGOT DVORAK AND ROUSSEL list updated

[Cosi bel do]

If I had to put them in order I think I would say :

1. Mahler
2. Beethoven (very close actually, maybe a tie...)
3. Mendelssohn
4. Glière
5. Bruckner
Then, Khachaturian, Prokofiev, Brahms, Schumann would come.
Gorecki would be last anyway

[Jay F]

1. Mahler
2. Beethoven
3-20 tie. The rest

[Sergeant Rock]

Singling out a Third is even more impossible than a Ninth. I'm faced with these real choices:


Nielsen
Atterberg
Bruckner
Sibelius
Havergal Brian
Beethoven
Roy Harris
William Schuman
Schumann
Vaughan Williams
Magnard
Mahler
Honegger
Rautavarra
Roussel
Saint-Saens

I abstain.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Singling out a Third is even more impossible than a Ninth. I'm faced with these real choices:


Nielsen
Atterberg
Bruckner
Sibelius
Havergal Brian
Beethoven
Roy Harris
William Schuman
Schumann
Vaughan Williams
Magnard
Mahler
Honegger
Rautavarra
Roussel
Saint-Saens

I abstain.

Sarge

Glad to see both RVW & Schuman mentioned.  Thanks, Sarge!

[Ken B]

My answer is clear, LvB, but take him out and it's a struggle between Brahms, Saint-Saens, and Bruckner.

[Ken B]

I suppose Stravinsky's Symphony in C is his no. 3.

That's right and I forgot. 
I think I want to change my vote.

Yes I want to change my vote. Stravinsky Symphony in C

(if North Star can prove Sibelius's 7th is actually his third I'll change it again  )

Discobulus, can you set it so we can retract our vote and change it?

[bhodges]

For greatest, I voted Beethoven. But the one I love is Mahler.

--Bruce

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

this is a killer - so I went with Brahms's, a work I listen to more than his other symphonies and that never fails to intrigue, captivate, and delight.  He prob. would have chosen the Eroica. 

Someone needs to convince me that these polls are (not necessarily in this order) :  1.) valid intellectually, as - for example - in providing increased perspective on the works in question*; 2.) fun;  3.) physically and psychologically healthy; 4.) Not torture.    Sounds like another poll...pick one. 

* There may be some in inciting replays, now must listen to Sibelius's 3rd - never ranked it as high as #2, 5, 6, and 7.

[Ken B]

* There may be some in inciting replays, now must listen to Sibelius's 3rd - never ranked it as high as #2, 5, 6, and 7.

Sibelius was a tidy man. 1 < 2 < 3 < 4 < 5 < 6 < 7.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Sibelius was a tidy man. 1 < 2 < 3 < 4 < 5 < 6 < 7.

That thought occurred to me as I was typing those numbers, but I was trying to appear more discerning in regard to the man. 

[North Star]

Glad to see both RVW &amp; Schuman mentioned.  Thanks, Sarge!

+1.
I don't know how I managed to forget RVW, definitely among my favourite Thirds.