Patchwork Symphony

**ChamberNut** · Feb-12-2007, 17:09

Hi,

I thought this might be fun. In this thread, create your own favorite "patchwork symphony" Meaning, take some of your favorite symphonic movements and mix 'em up to make a complete symphony. They can be all by the same composer, of they can be from 4 different composers.

No special rules, but a suggested format would be 4 movements with:

1st movement: Allegro or Allegro con brio style

2nd movement: Adagio/Largo (slow movement)

3rd movement: Scherzo/Presto/Vivace

4th movement: Allegro - Finale

I've got one, and used 4 different composers:

1. Mozart - Symphony No. 40 - 1st mvt. Molto Allegro

2. Mahler - Symphony No. 5 - 4th mvt. Adagietto

3. Bruckner - Symphony No. 9 - 2nd mvt. Scherzo

4. Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 - 'Ode to Joy' Finale.

**Kurkikohtaus** · Feb-13-2007, 09:59

Tonality is and has always been the focal point of The Symphony as a musical form.

Do you realize the strange key scheme that you have just suggested?

A more interesting excercise would be to take 4 movements as you suggest, all the while making sure that they fit into a logical key scheme, for example:

1st movement and 4th movement in the same key, or at least major/minor variations of the same tonal centre.

2nd (slow) movement in the subdominant (IV) or neapolitan of the dominant (bVI)

3rd (scherzo) movment in the tonic or dominant (V).

**Edward Elgar** · Feb-13-2007, 11:07

I think:

1) Brahms' 3rd (1st movement)
2) Rachmaninov's 2nd (3rd movement)
3) Tchaikovsky's 6th (2nd movement)
4) Saint-Seans 3rd (last movement)

That would be my perfect symphony! Despite the incorrect key changes! LOL!

**opus67** · Feb-13-2007, 11:59

What! Can't we enjoy some Music-fiction?

**Kurkikohtaus** · Feb-13-2007, 14:13

Originally Posted by Edward Elgar

... 2) Rachmaninov's 2nd (3rd movement) ...
That would be my perfect symphony! Despite the incorrect key changes! LOL!

In this case, Edward Elgar, it is not the varying keys that are the problem, but that cheezy, cheezy, cheezy Hollywood mvmt that you've included.

**ChamberNut** · Feb-13-2007, 14:15

Originally Posted by Kurkikohtaus

Tonality is and has always been the focal point of The Symphony as a musical form.

Do you realize the strange key scheme that you have just suggested?

A more interesting excercise would be to take 4 movements as you suggest, all the while making sure that they fit into a logical key scheme, for example:

1st movement and 4th movement in the same key, or at least major/minor variations of the same tonal centre.

2nd (slow) movement in the subdominant (IV) or neapolitan of the dominant (bVI)

3rd (scherzo) movment in the tonic or dominant (V).

Kurkikotaus,

Try and lighten up a bit.

I am not a musical expert, nor student of music. I just simply love classical music, and enjoy sharing my love of classical music with others.

I do realize that the movements don't match in key scheme, nor do they match in terms of musical eras. Essentially, all I want to do is to have people list some of their favorite symphonic movements. As I said in the 1st post, there are "no special rules". This is only for fun, not an exam or test on how to put a proper symphony together.

**Lisztfreak** · Feb-13-2007, 19:18

1. Elgar's Symphony no.1, 1st mvt. Andante - Allegro
2. Dvořák's Symphony no.9, 2nd mvt. Largo
3. Sibelius's Symphony no.1, 3rd mvt. Scherzo: Allegro
4. Beethoven's Symphony no.7, 4th mvt. Allegro con brio

I know this would sound very weird, but as said, this is really about favourite symphonic movements.

**Kurkikohtaus** · Feb-14-2007, 08:29

Originally Posted by ChamberNut

Kurkikotaus,

Try and lighten up a bit.

Dude, that's as light as it gets with me. Just kidding

Originally Posted by Lisztfreak

3. Sibelius's Symphony no.1, 3rd mvt. Scherzo: Allegro

... at last, someone with some taste.

**Lisztfreak** · Feb-14-2007, 17:16

Originally Posted by Kurkikohtaus

...at last, someone with some taste.

He, he... thanks.

**Edward Elgar** · Feb-15-2007, 11:03

Originally Posted by Kurkikohtaus

In this case, Edward Elgar, it is not the varying keys that are the problem, but that cheezy, cheezy, cheezy Hollywood mvmt that you've included.

CHEEZY! It's one of the greatest melodies ever written! It only sounds cheezy because others have tried to emulate Rachmaninov's glorious melodic skill.

some guy · Apr-12-2007, 07:19

There is already a patchwork symphony.

It's Francis Dhomont's Frankenstein Symphony, which he made by stitching together bits and pieces of other works, mostly by his students. (His students who had made the "big time" already, anyway.)

It's more fun if you know all the bits already, but I think it's probably pretty fun anyway.

(Tonality is not its focal point, just by the way...)

It's on Asphodel ASP 0978. Amazon has used ones starting at $7.76, so it's not a big risk. (The customer review is worth the visit, all on its own.)

**mahlerfan** · Apr-16-2007, 01:42

Here's mine:
1. Dvorak's 7th, movement 3
2. Mahler's 9th, movement 1
3. Tchaikovsky's 6th, movement 2
4. Sibelius' 5th, movement 3

**Kurkikohtaus** · Apr-16-2007, 06:47

Mahlerfan, it's a little strange to place a scherzo or dance-like mvmt as a first mvmt. I think if you turned your 1st 2 mvmts around, putting the Mahler in first position, it would make more sense.

I appreciate your choice of composer for the Finale...

However, that Finale is so dependant on material from the mvmts before it that I think we are robbing the listener of the total experience... but a thrilling ending nonetheless.

**mahlerfan** · Apr-17-2007, 20:45

Thanks about the ending, Kurkihotaus! I can see what you are saying however about the first movement, it would make more sense to flip them around. But I was only following
what ChamberNut said in the original post about the symphony being constructed of the first movement being fast and the second slow.

**Keemun** · Apr-18-2007, 18:33

Keemun’s Patchwork Symphony No. 1

1. Sibelius: Symphony No. 2, 1st mvt.
2. Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, 2nd mvt.
3. Bruckner: Symphony No. 7, 2nd mvt.
4. Mahler: Symphony No. 2, 5th mvt.

Keemun’s Patchwork Symphony No. 2

1. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, 1st mvt.
2. Bruckner: Symphony No. 6, 2nd mvt.
3. Sibelius: Symphony No. 6, 3rd mvt
4. Mahler: Symphony No. 9, 4th mvt.
5. Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, 4th mvt.

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