Thread: Best Beethoven symphonies

My rank of my favorite BEethoven symphonies

1 Symphony #5
2 Symphony #3 Eroica
3 Symphony #9 choral
4 Symphony #6 pastroal
5 symphony #1
6 Symphony #7
7 symphony #2
8 symphony #4
9 symphony #8

What are your ranks?

Oh, what the heck. My ranking, as of today, and I'll even throw in my current favorite recordings of each (though those may change by this evening ) ...

7 Abbado BPO
5 Karajan BPO 77
3 Klemperer Stereo
8 Szell Cleveland SO
4 Walter Columbia SO
6 Bohm VPO
9 Furtwangler 42
2 Bernstein NYPO
1 Gardiner

Originally Posted by Gustav

My rank of my favorite BEethoven symphonies

1 Symphony #5
2 Symphony #3 Eroica
3 Symphony #9 choral
4 Symphony #6 pastroal
5 symphony #1
6 Symphony #7
7 symphony #2
8 symphony #4
9 symphony #8

What are your ranks?

Such lists are of but ephemeral value, but I still have fun at them.

I'll say:

1. Fourth
2. Sixth
3. Seventh
4. Third
5. Eighth
6. Fifth
7. Ninth
8. Second
9. First

Cheers,
~Karl

Interesting lists, but the correct one is as follows:

3
9
6
7
5
4
8
1
2

Hmm ... jwinter and I agree on the 'bottom 3' ....

Cheers,
~Karl

My list:

Nº 7
Nº 3
Nº 9 (it would be my favorite but, sincerely and trying not to sound snobish, I don't like the Finale)
Nº 4
Nº 5
Nº 6
Nº 8
Nº 2
Nº 1

That's hard. I've actually played all but 3 of the Beethoven Symphonies

5
3(the slow movement is AMAZING to play)
7
6
4
1
2
8
9

Who in their right mind places the Ninth in the bottom three?

I'll do it the jwinter way:

9: Reiner/Fricsay/Furtwangler ('42)
3: Szell/Klemperer (mono)
7: Szell/Kleiber/Reiner
6: Bohm/Reiner/Walter (Col)
8: Toscanini
4: Kleiber
5: Kleiber/Toscanini/Szell
2: Reiner/Szell
1: Reiner

Originally Posted by Pete

Who in their right mind places the Ninth in the bottom three?

I suppose, someone in his right mind, who prefers six others? :-)

Cheers,
~Karl

Originally Posted by Pete

Who in their right mind places the Ninth in the bottom three?

After having played Beethoven 9 for auditions and other things and listened to it be incrediably ruined by different orchestras or the different versions that have been arranged I can't help but be more than a bit sick of Beethoven 9, it's a great symphony; wonderfully written, great, expansive melodies and wide appeal but I'm sorry I can't make myself sit down and listen to it anymore.

Interesting to the third ranked in the top three by everyone.
I think it is the greatest of all, in structure and inventivness.

Yes, indeed! The Eroica is not my personal favorite, but that's just a matter of taste -- I'll certainly not argue against its greatness. The Funeral March is one of the most moving pieces in all of Beethoven, IMO.

As to the 9th, in a way it's like truffles or caviar -- it's too rich to eat every day. I love it, but compared to the others I seldom listen to it. For me it's music that requires an occasion, and one's complete attention -- I can drive in my car or write a post on a classical music forum while listening to the 4th or the 5th; not so the 9th. And while the greatest performances of the 9th can literally move Heaven and earth, I've heard quite a few mediocre ones that leave me less than inspired. For me, the 9th seems to be more subject to bad interpretation than Beethoven's others -- it's easy for the finale to sound either portentious and bloated or underpowered and scraggly; and the rhythms, in the 2nd movt particularly, are tricky to get right. But have no doubts as to my sanity, it's a great work.

The list is for best-sounding, I better start another list for most innovative

Isn't his 9th really an opera in disguise?

I'm a new member.I'm a high school student.I've just been in US for 4 month since moved from China,so my English is really poor.But anyway,best greetings to everyone.
My list:
9th(Furtwangler1951 Bayreuth)
5th(Kleiber)
6th(Walter)
3rd(Klemperer)
7th(Kleiber)
8th(Abbado,video,since I don't have any other recordings)
4th(Abbado,same as above)
2nd(same as above)
1st(Gardiner)