Six (now eight) favourite fourth symphonies

Started by vandermolen, March 17, 2015, 12:14:41 PM

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Brian

#20
March 18, 2015, 04:30:21 AM
Quote from: Todd on March 17, 2015, 02:53:37 PM
Szymanowski
Gah, another one I'm embarrassed I forgot. Edited now:

Quote from: Brian on March 17, 2015, 01:00:45 PM
1. Brahms
2. Beethoven
3. Szymanowski
4. Tchaikovsky
5. Nielsen
6. Lloyd

EDIT: Aaaaagh forgot Nielsen!!!
EDIT 2: And Szymanowski!!!

Karl Henning

#21
March 18, 2015, 04:34:11 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 17, 2015, 01:36:59 PM
Presumably due to your military background  ;)

(* chortle *)
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Sergeant Rock

#22
March 18, 2015, 04:43:50 AM Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 04:48:55 AM by Sergeant Rock
Quote from: The new erato on March 18, 2015, 01:18:49 AM
I didn't understand how anybody could avoid mentioning that absolutely glorious symphony!

I love Nielsen but his Fourth is not among my favorites. I rank them, from first to last, thusly:

3, 6, 2, 1, 4, 5

I know...I have his two greatest symphonies last. :o  The Fourth has always been a problem child, but the Fifth fell out of favor over a period of decades until it finally ended up at the bottom.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Sergeant Rock

#23
March 18, 2015, 04:52:13 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 17, 2015, 01:36:59 PM
Presumably due to your military background  ;)

Quote from: karlhenning on March 18, 2015, 04:34:11 AM
(* chortle *)

Yes, I always obeyed the Rules of Engagement.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Drasko

#24
March 18, 2015, 05:03:16 AM Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 05:09:46 AM by Drasko
Brahms
Tchaikovsky
Mahler
Beethoven
Piston
Diamond

also in the running: Bruckner, Schumann, Honegger, Martinu, Roussel

The new erato

#25
March 18, 2015, 05:11:42 AM
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on March 18, 2015, 04:43:50 AM
I love Nielsen but his Fourth is not among my favorites. I rank them, from first to last, thusly:

3, 6, 2, 1, 4, 5

I know...I have his two greatest symphonies last. :o  The Fourth has always been a problem child, but the Fifth fell out of favor over a period of decades until it finally ended up at the bottom.

Sarge
4, 3, 5, 2, 6, 1 here....

North Star

#26
March 18, 2015, 05:20:25 AM
Quote from: The new erato on March 18, 2015, 05:11:42 AM
4, 3, 5, 2, 6, 1 here....
Same for me, I think - but I like them all. This topic is turning into 'Six favourite Nielsen symphonies'. . .
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

Karl Henning

#27
March 18, 2015, 05:23:05 AM
Quote from: North Star on March 18, 2015, 05:20:25 AM
. . . This topic is turning into 'Six favourite Nielsen symphonies'. . .

My order is probably: 3 - 6 - 4 - 5 - 1 - 2 (but with the qualifier, per Karlo, that in fact, I like all of them very well).
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Karl Henning

#28
March 18, 2015, 05:31:04 AM
Thread Duty:

Shostakovich
Nielsen
Tchaikovsky
Wm Schuman
LvB
Prokofiev (Op.112 version)

Notes:

The Shostakovich Op.43 is an enduring obsession of mine, and would therefore be a cornerstone of any list from me.

The Prokofiev & I have had something of a checkered history, but I feel fully reconciled to it.

The Brahms was of course a serious contender, but my ambivalence to the Scherzo drove this symphony from the short list.

The LvB must be nearly as permanent an element of this list as the Shostakovich.

I have a feeling I might have included the Holmboe only this morning I cannot recall any of it . . . .
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

The new erato

#29
March 18, 2015, 06:12:56 AM
I also have a soft spot for Piston's 4th (prompted by seeing Karl's reference to Wm Schuman).

Karl Henning

#30
March 18, 2015, 06:14:01 AM
Quote from: The new erato on March 18, 2015, 06:12:56 AM
I also have a soft spot for Piston's 4th (prompted by seeing Karl's reference to Wm Schuman).

I think I have yet to listen to that one!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

jochanaan

#31
March 18, 2015, 07:49:18 AM
The lineup for #4 symphonies seems singularly great, as much as for #3.  Let's see:
Beethoven
Schubert "Tragic"
Mendelssohn "Italian"
Schumann
Bruckner "Romantic"
Brahms
Tchaikovsky
Mahler (#4 is his lightest symphony, but still, Mahler!)
Sibelius
Shostakovich
Vaughan Williams
Many others could be included, but these are all masterpieces by any reasonable standard.

I am not familiar with the #4 symphonies by Mozart, Haydn, Glazunov, Miaskovsky, Prokofiev or Hovhaness, but I'm certain they are all worthy works, given their composers' stature. :)
Imagination + discipline = creativity

Sergeant Rock

#32
March 18, 2015, 08:55:25 AM
Quote from: jochanaan on March 18, 2015, 07:49:18 AM
I am not familiar with the #4 symphonies by Mozart, Haydn, Glazunov, Miaskovsky, Prokofiev or Hovhaness, but I'm certain they are all worthy works, given their composers' stature. :)

Haydn 4 is superb. I think it's a favorite of EigenUser.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Brian

#33
March 18, 2015, 10:07:42 AM
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on March 18, 2015, 08:55:25 AM
Haydn 4 is superb. I think it's a favorite of EigenUser.

Sarge
It's fun to see posts like this and then go to the listening thread and see the immediate results.

Ken B

#34
March 18, 2015, 11:34:32 AM
Brahms
Bruckner
Stravinsky ( Symphony in 3 Movements is symphony #4)
Schmidt

I will cede my extra two slots to Sarge

Sergeant Rock

#35
March 18, 2015, 01:11:42 PM
Quote from: Ken B on March 18, 2015, 11:34:32 AM
I will cede my extra two slots to Sarge

I'll use my extra votes for Shostakovich and Sibelius  8)

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Minor Key

#36
March 18, 2015, 01:23:07 PM
My six favorite fourth symphonies (in order):
1. Sibelius
2. Brahms
3. Schubert
4. Mendelssohn
5. Beethoven
6. Vaughan Williams

vandermolen

#37
March 18, 2015, 01:42:41 PM
Quote from: The new erato on March 18, 2015, 01:18:49 AM
I didn't understand how anybody could avoid mentioning that absolutely glorious symphony!

It is a great one - I agree.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#38
March 18, 2015, 01:47:51 PM Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 01:49:30 PM by vandermolen
OMG How could I forget Braga Santos?  :o :o :o

Piston's 2nd is my favourite of his but I go along with Drasko's choice of Diamond's 4th Symphony, memorably recorded by Leonard Bernstein, although his No. 3, an out and out masterpiece in my view, is my favourite.

By the way thank you for all the replies and interesting suggestions.  :)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Sergeant Rock

#39
March 18, 2015, 02:05:34 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 18, 2015, 01:47:51 PM
OMG How could I forget Braga Santos?  :o :o :o

With (poco) Sforzando lurking hereabouts, it's best not to mention that composer  ;D

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"
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