I know, I had to leave out some fine works. The thing is, the list already had 40 entries and was really getting too long. Plus, I’m sure that if I had decided to add ten more symphonies, I’d still have ended up with dilemmas.
As far as I’m concerned, I voted for :
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Undoubtedly the most easily recognizable symphony introduction in history but also a fascinating work in the way it builds whole worlds out of an extremely basic cell.
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major
Yes, I picked it mainly for the slow movement, which is one of the most carefully-built, awe-inspiring thing that Beethoven ever wrote, but the whole symphony is extremely good, even if the (excellent) other movements are overshadowed by that amazing Allegretto.
- Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor
Otherwise jokingly known as “Beethoven’s Tenth”. I love the way the introduction immediately grabs you by the throat : soaring, stormy and relentless. Also, much later, just when you think the symphony is going to transition to a bombastic conclusion, you get a diversion : the music briefly takes on a “fairy tale”, suspended character as if it was lost in an enchanted forest. Lovely. And only after that does the glorious conclusive sequence starts. One of the greatest Romantic symphonies.
- Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor
Brahms’ music can be described in many ways : wistful and autumnal, achingly beautiful, firmly grounded, tightly structured, formally ambitious, faithful to tradition and yet forward-looking but there’s one adjective that doesn’t come spontaneously : elegant. It doesn’t have the effortless seduction, the fluid delicacy of Mozart’s or Schubert’s. And yet, there’s this symphony’s arresting opening, which a moment of pure, ethereal grace. The rest of the work doesn’t quite recapture that feeling but it doesn’t matter for the music is of the very highest caliber, from the second movement’s slow, deliberate development of a simple horn melody to the breathtaking variations of the finale. Brahms’ towering orchestral achievement.
- Serge Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7 in C sharp minor
The symphony as a genre lost ground in Europe after the Second World War. There was one place where it continued to thrive however : the Soviet Union, where composers churned out hundreds of examples. Most are forgettable, yet some are definitely worth listening to. A precious few rank with the best examples of the previous century. Shostakovich is the first name that springs to mind but Prokofiev’s symphonic output attracts me more. The former’s music is always either deliberately grotesque or anguished, while the latter uses a much subtler palette and a finer brush. What’s more, his melodic gift was undeniable, based on long and lyrical themes that take totally unexpected turns while remaining immediately striking. The opening of this symphony offers one of the finest examples of this, as well as a delightful, admiring nod to Tchaikovsky.