Which is your favorite Beethoven symphony?

The dh has been playing Beethoven today. I honestly can't decide which is my favorite of his symphonies. What's yours?

Only because we played it in the school band (no strings) But I am going to a Beethoven concert 1 Nov. Piano--Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37. Also there will be a Mendelssohn Symphony.

I am listening to Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major K.218. I am surprised that some of the passages could almost be "Bluegrass"

180

I'll go for #6 because it is more "subtle", yet every bit as much a work of genius. Having recently transcribed the score of #6 to midi and spending many, many weeks inserting and editing the performance dynamics, I've listened to it about 500 times in the last few months, and yet it remains fresh and exciting every time.

If you get past the famous (or infamous) eight opening notes, this is one rocking symphony! A truly inspired work of genius. It stands out for a reason, people. Go listen to it. Right now!

the 5th seems a perfect piece of music from beginning to end, but the 9th of all music seems to be the most touching and evocative of the spirit of humanity.

at least that's what i feel when i listen to these pieces by beethoven.

Are you a Soylent Green fan (the 6th) or a Clockwork Orange fan (the 9th).

I hadn't thought of that.

I have to admit that as much as I love #9, #6 never fails to bring tears to my eyes. And #5 does rock, too!

Anyone ever hear the "sportscast" of the 5th Symphony by Peter Schikele?

"Would you call that four-note idea a theme or a motif?"

"Well.....uh.....I dunno, Pete."

--------

"...and it's tutti all the way"


:D

It's a beautiful night for a symphony: not a cloud in the ceiling.

... anyone who doesn't know what a Sonata Allegro form is wouldn't get it, would they?

My favorite work of Beethoven is the Missa Solemnis (Mass in D, Opus 126).

Ode an die Freude

And it happens to be the EU's anthem as well.

...when the Berlin Wall came down, in a performance where the chorus sang the word "freedom" instead of "joy". I think that performance is still available on CD.

are masterpieces. I'm personally very partial to 9 and 6. And Missa Solemnis. I find Bach and Mozart to be pretty mathematical excercizes, but Beethoven has so much emotion in his work.

Berlin Philharmonic,Herbert von Karajan conducting. I would hate to have to choose,though..I love them all:)

I heard recently the recording that I loved from the college library they played it on NPR, Eric Kliber conducting - the Vienna Phil - and it brought back to me why this symphony gives me such a thrill. The first and third movements give promise to all Beethoven would become, and his purest beliefs in idealism and all the marvelous philosophy of that era, which influenced our founding fathers so much.

The second movement isn't much, a bit mauldlin but brief. Still this symphony is my personal favorite but I love young idealism. Although I'm also very found of the seventh, for it's the tragic response to the 3rd, the let down from that idealism.

The others I love but I think I've heard them too often.

Am taking the 5th as my favorite. The 9th will stir up your blood, but the 5th is a very powerful work.

Love that Scherzo. Fingers flying!

:toast:

So is 6th. 5,3,and 9 are nice too. Really, they all are good, but I vote for 7. It's one of the few where I prefer the Toscanini recording. That second movement give me chills.

1939 or the later recording?

I don't have the year. Sorry about that.

...since I couldn't tell you the year either. I assume that you're talking about the performance on BMG. The 1939 is available on a number of different labels, and it is an amazingly propulsive performance (in terrible sound, of course).

but I really love 9, and 6, and 8, and 5. Only one I'm lukewarm on is 1 & 2.

Symphony chorister story: We (Omaha Symphony) were performing the 9th, Viktor Yampolsky conducting. If we're sounding good & Viktor's inspired, he likes taking some sections fast. At the end of the final movement, there's a section marked "prestissimo". Well, he did, with vigor. Afterward, I was talking to a friend of mine who was playing double-bass. He asked me, "At that prestissimo, did you have a marking that said.." and then he said something in Italian ("Come un blocco dal inferno"). I said, "No, there was nothing like that, and what the hell is that." He replied, "Like a bat outta hell"....

I saw it performed at the Hollywood Bowl this summer. But choosing is difficult to do.

Damn you Keith Olbermann!

every time.....

...but anybody here remember the theme for Huntley-Brinkley? Yep, the Scherzo from the 9th.

Chet Huntley in NY and David Brinkley in Washington. Scherzo from Beethoven's 9th and more news in 15 minutes (original NBC national news) than any network gives you in 30 minutes now. Local news in Atlanta was 15 minutes followed by 15 minutes of national news. Who is dating whom now?

BTW: While we are on the subject... An Atlanta TV station (2/5/11?) had Eastern Air Lines as their news sponsor in the early 60s. That news program had a semi-classical march as its theme music. Anyone know what it was?

'Twas my first exposure to the Ninth.

You people are really missing out on THE gem of the 9 (and I say that as one who has sung in the 9th many times and played oboe on a few others). The Fourth is perhaps B's most jocular symphony - it never fails to make me smile.

Do yourself a favor - give it a listen.

But since I could only vote for one(very hard to choose),I picked Eroica. The 4th makes me smile,too...it's ebullient:)

The 8th is more "serious" and I just love its range.

that was rolled out on tape a few years back after it was (ahem) constructed by (ahe-he-hem) scholars.

And some of the others, I'd imagine.
By the time he wrote the ninth (finished it?), his hearing was completely gone. I mean, that's some heavy stuff. The man gradually lost his hearing and is STILL one of the all time greats. Amazing.

The 9th symphony...sometimes, when I'm down about things, I listen to it. Here's this deaf composer, whose career could have been devestated, who could not even hear what he loved best...creating an ode to joy, of all things.

Beethoven is by far my fave. I also particularly like, of his symphonies, 4,5, and 6. The rest, of course, are delightful too.

...since it is such an extraordinary piece of musical engineering. But the Eroica and the 9th are equally powerful in different ways. But in these troubled times, the Missa Solemenis remains the Beethoven work closest to my heart - with Op. 111 and the Hammerklavier not far behind. There's a couple of Quartets that fit in here as well...

yes, like Op 132 in a. Is there anything in Beethoven's ouevre more beautiful than that piece's third movement? I don't think so.

...but that movement is extremely moving, if an acquired taste (like Scotch). In fact, it took me quite a while, relatively speaking, to break through to appreciating the Late Quartets. I tend to listen to 131 and 135 more than 132, probably because I so enjoy Lenny's orchestrations of both - and the 135 Adagio foreshadows the big Adagio from the Mahler 3.

which is actually a sort of piano concerto. It's a beautiful piece, and I got to perform it a few years ago. It was wonderful sitting where we could see the pianist interact visually and musically with the various people with whom he was playing duets. Also, we were short an oboist for some reason, so the principal brought her top student, a college sophomore, in to play the oboe duet. They did a fine job, and the girl was so pleased and excited. But, seriously, give that work a listen. It has a lot of similarities to the 9th symphony, and some really wonderful ummmmmm, themes? motifs?

I'm not familiar with the 4th - I need to listen to that one.

#9 is my very favorite. Every time I have played it I cry when the vocals start. Difficult to play when you are crying but I can't help it.

It is truly sublime. The 9th is fireworks but the eighth is quite a nifty little piece itself.

Whereas with Mozart it's be hard to pick
one favorite 'cause he did so many friggen
brillant pieces.
What a remarkable man he was.

I think the Eroica is the greatest of the nine, and the greatest of all symphonies. The 7th is three parts fun and one part heartbreak. There aren't any I dislike, but the 6th and 9th may be my least favorite. Flame away.

I totally agree with you. Do you have a favorite recording of Eroica? I'm partial to the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan.

I've had a few arguments over the years regarding the 9th. It's wonderful stuff, but I've always thought the finale has nothing to do with the reast of the piece. It's a long story. Anyway, I don't have favorite recordings of most pieces, different ones have different things to say.

... from sad or depressed to fabulously happy and triumphant. By putting it on whenever I was depressed it would begin by meeting me where I was and then proceed tp carry me up with it into the stratosphere. I love the 9th. I just love the 6th a tiny bit more.

Being a BMus in musicology, I sometimes take a too-analytical approach to music. Also, the 9th is so damn hard to sing, and I've done it many times. Maybe I'm just pissed off with it.

and by the way, Ironflange, for a low bass like myself, that piece is a lot harder to sing than Beethoven's 9th. Mahler has the low basses singing, I think, an F above middle C near the end of the piece. This after those low b-flats.

There are so many different ways to play the piece. A couple of favorites of mine are Barbirolli/BBC and Klemperer/Philharmonia (the stereo recording). I also remember thinking that the Harnoncourt Eroica was the highlight of his cycle. But I've heard lots of good ones over the years, most of which aren't coming to mind while I type.

especially the heartbreaking second movement. But it's hard to pick a favorite -- I took a whole class in college on them and love them all!