What is your favorite Beethoven Symphony?
In anticipation for this weekend's livestream:
Piano Extravaganza: An Exploration of Beethoven's Orchestral Style (feat. a performance of the "Pastorale Symphony"
I wanted to ask: What is YOUR favorite symphony by Beethoven?
Optional: share your favorite recording of it with us!
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My favorite symphony is #6!
I just love the story telling aspect of each movement and imagine that Beethoven must have heard these sounds on his many walks!
My favorite recording might be the one with Leonard Bernstein!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXgBtAD5daM
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They are all my favorites in any form!
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Oh, such a hard question! Probably depends on the day and my mood... But No. 7 has to be up there (even though Beethoven angrily said, when after the success of the 7th Symphony the 8th failed to impress: "That's because it [the 8th] is the better one!"). Many great recordings; this is one of the special ones:
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My first thought is the 7th . . . .
But then, there's also the 3rd. And one can't forget the 9th. The 4th always puts a smile on my face. Of course, the 8th is quite amazing. And the 5th is just fun. The 6th is fabulous. I guess I can't pick just one! (I don't really know the 1st and 2nd, so I guess I should give them a listen.)
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Of course they are all beyond being beyond, yet for some reason the Pastoral symphony still takes me places after all these years of listening to it. I grew up with Szell’s LP box set, which dates me, and being from Philadelphia I enjoy Ormandy, which also dates me.
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All amazing, but I absolutely love the Allegretto from #7.
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Vidhya Bashyam Breathtaking!
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No. 6. It's kind of impressionistic in Beethoven's way, and it has everything.
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Is it really possible to have a favorite? For me, it is the one that I am listening to.
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I love Symphony 9.
I love how pioneering this symphony is. What it represents (unity, affirmation, brotherhood).
And let’s not forget the impact it had in other composers.
Is so impressive and marvelous to me the many forms of music he used through this symphony. Tk be able to write a movement within a movement!!!
My favourite recording:
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Tricky! But definitely Symphony Number 7 and especially the 4th movement! It is just so joyful and exuberant..never fails to cheer me up! I particularly like this recording; the tempo is just right (IMHO!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5lcrbBYpoY
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#3 by Mariss Jansons. I love the journey of this symphony - a simple and sublime melody on 1st movement to the most deeply moving funeral march on second movement. And journey kept going. Even the best movie story line multiply with a million.
I attended the concert conducted by Mariss Jansons with Bavarian Radio symphony at Royal
Festival hall (London). One of my early live concert experience. Since then, no other Beethoven symphony match up to that experience. Something about Janson's lyricalness and the resonance of the hall that made it very special.
