Thread: Best Beethoven symphonies

Currently:

6
5 & 7
9
3
8
4 & 1
2

7, 8
3, 5
4, 9
6, 1
2

Don't think I m even qualified to judge. So the list is only a personal likeness.

I will try my list again:

4
3
7
9
2
1
8
6
5

I think his first 9 are the strongest.

I still can't believe that you are putting his 9th so low, it has give so much pleasure for me.

oh well, here goes...

9
3/5 so hard...
6
7

below 7 I don't really mind. 9 mov 1 is the best for me anyway (if I may single out one movement).

Update (2 years and 9 days later!)

In an effort to better explain my rankings, i've come up with a quality scale to grade each movement for all the symphonies. I encourage others to use it as well! It goes as follows:

1: Bad. The work is either grating your nerves, or is dull throughout and putting you to
sleep. You're forcing yourself to hear it and really just want it to end.

2: Subpar. There are some parts that leave you optimistic it will get better, but it is
ultimately lackluster and leaves something to be desired.

3: Solid. You have NOTHING bad to say about it, but no part of it can be considered "great".

4: Very good. You liked it a lot, but it still lacks that certain "it" factor that
makes it stand out and truly memorable for you.

5: Wonderful. Something you can consider beautiful, captivating, and/or just flat out
amazing.

Scores are annotated as (1st movement, 2nd movement, 3rd movement, 4th movement). If you're absolutely torn between 2 categories, you can award half a point extra(i.e, in between Bad and Subpar would make the score 1.5). Luckily, everything came out different so no tie breaks were needed.

Symphony No. 1: 3, 2, 3, 3 - 11 pts
Symphony No. 2: 2, 3, 3, 2 - 10 pts
Symphony No. 3: 2, 2 (just barely...), 2, 2 - 8 pts
Symphony No. 4: 1.5, 1.5, 2, 1 (grating my nerves) - 6 pts
Symphony No. 5: 5 (amazing), 5 (beautiful), 5 (captivating), 5 (amazing) - 20 pts
Symphony No. 6 (3rd and 4th movements I score as one, taking the average): 4, 1 (putting me to sleep), 4 (4,4), 4 - 13 pts
Symphony No. 7: 3, 5 (beautiful), 4, 3 - 15 pts
Symphony No. 8: 4, 4, 4, 2 - 14 pts
Symphony No. 9: 5 (captivating), 5 (captivating), 2 , 5 (amazing) - 17 pts

Final Ranking (with some further explanations):

1.) 5th
2.) 9th

The 5th managed to beat out the 9th for me and top the list! I find the 5th to be a perfect symphonic work that i truly love from beginning to end. Beethoven's undisputed masterpiece.

As much as i love the 9th, it takes second place because the 3rd movement still doesn't do it for me.

3.) 7th
4.) 8th

The 7th has moved on up the list from last time, and it is a powerhouse. I think it's hard to dispute the 2nd movement is the best of them all.

I've grown to thoroughly enjoy the 8th! I do love the 1st 3 movements (especially the 2nd, which is a spin-off of Beethoven's joke canon 'Ta ta ta, lieber Mälzel' ), but the finale falls a little flat for me.

5.) 6th

The pastoral has fallen down the list. I really enjoy all movements except for the second, which legit makes me
fall asleep. I guess it's just a little TOO serene for my liking...

6.) 1st

The 1st managed to stay in the same spot. I still find it a very solid entry.

7.) 2nd
8.) 3rd

Heh, i didn't think it would happen but it did. Eroica has fallen down the list one spot. I just can't get into it, i still find it completely overrated, and honestly i barely found the funeral march to be subpar. The famed and acclaimed 3rd will remain my least favorite of all Beethoven's popular symphonies (3,5,6,7,9).

9.) 4th

Not much to say here. I find the 4th pretty boring, and I basically forced myself through the entire thing.

3 and 6 have great 1st movements. I enjoy the first 2 movements of Symphony 4. The first movement of Symphony 1 is pretty good as well. Can't go wrong with any of Beethoven's Symphonies. Probably his biggest strength of all the subgenres.

I can pick a favorite child, but I can't rank the litter. If I had to survive with just one, it would be 6.

7
8
6
9
5

Don't care for the rest.

Originally Posted by BeethoFan

...the 9th...the 3rd movement still doesn't do it for me

...the 8th...the finale falls a little flat.

The pastoral...I really enjoy all movements except for the second, which legit makes me fall asleep.

...Eroica...I just can't get into it, i still find it completely overrated, and honestly i barely found the funeral march to be subpar.

I find the 4th pretty boring, and I basically forced myself through the entire thing.

Your username rather jars with comments like these, don't you think?

Using your definitions I'd award every movement from the first of the Eroica on 5s and all movements from #1&2 at least 4s.

But to say that #4 is 'dull [almost] throughout', that the Eroica is 'subpar', that the second of the Pastoral 'puts you to sleep', that the first and finale of #7 'cannot be considered great', that the finale of #8 is 'ultimately lacklustre', that the third of #9 'leaves something to be desired'...I cannot understand this. I can only invoke the words of Hector Berlioz speaking on this same topic:

Where is the truth, and where is the error? Everywhere and nowhere. Everybody is right. What to someone seems beautiful is not so for someone else, simply because one person was moved and the other remained indifferent, and the former experienced profound delight while the latter acute boredom. What can be done about this?… nothing… but it is dreadful; I would rather be mad and believe in absolute beauty.

The last movement in Symphony 5 gives me hope. Such a powerful movement.

Originally Posted by jalex

Your username rather jars with comments like these, don't you think?

Why is that? Am i entitled to like everything he puts out? No i'm not.

Originally Posted by jalex

Using your definitions I'd award every movement from the first of the Eroica on 5s and all movements from #1&2 at least 4s.

Good for you. Glad you like them that much, i didn't.

Originally Posted by jalex

But to say that #4 is 'dull [almost] throughout', that the Eroica is 'subpar', that the second of the Pastoral 'puts you to sleep', that the first and finale of #7 'cannot be considered great', that the finale of #8 is 'ultimately lacklustre', that the third of #9 'leaves something to be desired'...I cannot understand this.

Why can't you understand this? Beethoven is my favorite composer, but if i don't like a work of his i will say it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and not all opinions are meant to be positive. In case you haven't noticed, quite a few people on here have given negative opinions on some of the pieces. It's ok to do so, really.

Originally Posted by jalex

I can only invoke the words of Hector Berlioz speaking on this same topic:

Good for Hector Berlioz. Why should i value his opinion more over mine?

Eroica is a definition of perfect music.
I wish Beethoven did a great job too with Symphony No.2 and 8 which are inferior to All Brahms/Dvorak/Schumann symphonies. Maybe better than other composers' symphonies.