Favorite Beethoven Symphony

[Composer]

Hi

Which is your Favorite symphony of his?

Vote :cool:

Do ONLY SELECT TWO in the poll..!

Daniel.

[Majesty]

This is a tough one for me. I actually have 3 favorite Beethoven Symphonies.
My favs are 3,7 and 9.

When I make up my mind for my absolute favorite two, then I'll vote.

[Shiva]

Seems like no.9 is a clear favourite for all. I think its because it like an anthem, everyone loves an anthem

[Composer]

What is an anthem?

[Thorolf]

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=anthem

anthem (a song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school))
hymn, anthem (a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation))

And to find this, type into Google: define:anthem

Regards

[Bassoonery]

ooo that's exciting Thorolf - I did not know about the define function on Google - that's what you get for an outstanding pass in Key skills ict. hmm... I spent hours of coursework proving that I can use And Or Not and "". So clever.

Anyway I went for 5 and 7 (yes I am common enought to admit that 5 is pretty darn good) but I find it hard to crticise any Beethoven. I think 9 would have come 3rd. 2 and 4 are my least favourite. One of my biggest sadnesses is that I haven't yet played in any of them! Anyone know of an orchestra playing one that needs a bassoon???

[Composer]

Originally Posted by Thorolf

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=anthem

anthem (a song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school))
hymn, anthem (a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation))

And to find this, type into Google: define:anthem

Regards

Thank you.

[Gryvix]

the ninth is being used as anthem, I've played the theme on several occasions, especially on ones with more european countries involved, not in a symphony otchestra.

[val]

My favorite Symphony is the 7th.

But the first movement of the 9th is, to me, the greatest symphonic achievement of Beethoven.

I would like to insist on the extreme beauty of his 4th Symphony, a work not frequently mentioned.

[FlosCampi]

Very difficult to say.

Beethoven is in my blood, the first ever classical record I owned was a recording (on LP vinyl!) my father bought me about 35 years ago of his 5th Symphony by Bruno Walter and the Berlin Phil. So for that reason alone I will vote for the 5th.

But they are all extraordinary. I have a German Godson who lives with his parents (our friends) at Rheinbach just about 10 miles from Bonn, so I have visited the famous Beethovenhaus, the LvB birthplace, many times, and I feel his music is integral to my whole appreciation of music.

For different reasons I especially love the ground-breaking 3rd, the 'Eroica' and also the 6th the 'Pastoral' which to me is the most lovely of all in terms of pure melodic invention. The 7th is most uplifting and exciting, and the 9th maybe the most moving of all when we consider that he never heard a note of it as he was profoundly deaf by then, which makes it's composition all the more miraculous.

But the 5th seems to transcend all these things and includes his whole world, it's surely still the most famous and most performed symphony ever written, and I'm sure that uniquely in 500 years time people will still know what the expression "the 5th" means without even any reference to its composer!

PS. Oops! I only voted for one, but I'm allowed two votes! So my other vote for the 6th I'm afraid won't register!