Beethoven's lesser known symphonies

[OboeKing]

Without a doubt, Beethoven's Ninth is his greatest work in the symphonic genre. His 3rd, 5th, and 6th are too among my favourite works. But out of his 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 8th, my personal favourite is the 7th. The glorious 4th movement sets my heart going double speed every time I hear it. If you had to pick a favourite out of these lesser known symphonies, what would it be?

[Chris]

I'd probably include the 6th in the lesser knows works, actually.

But anyway, I think the 4th is my favorite, followed closely by the 7th. That actually includes the better-known works as well.

[lysander]

The 6th Symphony (Pastoral) was written simultaneously with the 5th Symphony and both were premiered at the same time. Yet so striking is Beethoven's compositional skill that each could not be more different from the other.
Whereas the 5th Symphony is full of struggle
and announces from the very outset the primacy of the role of Fate in the future of mankind through famous chords that open the Symphony.
And in the last movement, triumph over adversity.

The 6th Symphony, there is the bucolic sounds of Beethoven's happy feelings in the countryside, environed by the sounds of nature, a pleasant scene by a meandering brook, a passing thunderstorm, a shephards hymn of thanksgiving --a picturesque depiction of nature, with a smiling and sunny air of felicity and relaxation.

One can very keenly sense that Beethoven found tranquility and so loved bieng in harmony with nature and found peaceful contemplation and healing, at on with God.

[Joy]

Originally posted by OboeKing:
Without a doubt, Beethoven's Ninth is his greatest work in the symphonic genre. His 3rd, 5th, and 6th are too among my favourite works. But out of his 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 8th, my personal favourite is the 7th. The glorious 4th movement sets my heart going double speed every time I hear it. If you had to pick a favourite out of these lesser known symphonies, what would it be?

That is a very difficult question because each of his symphonies has something different to offer to these lucky ears. But I would go with the 8th as this was one of the first of his symphonies I heard as a youngster and fell in love with the timpani (and his music) as a result! Anyhow, because of that, it has some sentimental feelings for it as well. Last year I was privileged to attend all nine of his symphonies at a Beethoven Festival here in Phoenix and I remember wanting to hear that one performed since I was very young, when it was over I thought I waited all my life to hear this live and then it was over so fast, much too fast!

Joy

[Chaszz]

I like only the 9th and the 5th better among the symphonies than the 8th and the 2nd.

The 8th might be the musical accompaniment to a relaxing game of ball being played by the gods on Mount Olympus as the sun sets, after the serious business of interfering in the Trojan War is over for the day.

The fast movements of the 2nd are wonderful founts of energy just barely controlled by the crisp discipline of the high classical style that Beethoven inherited from Haydn and Mozart.

[Peter]

Originally posted by OboeKing:
Without a doubt, Beethoven's Ninth is his greatest work in the symphonic genre. His 3rd, 5th, and 6th are too among my favourite works. But out of his 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 8th, my personal favourite is the 7th. The glorious 4th movement sets my heart going double speed every time I hear it. If you had to pick a favourite out of these lesser known symphonies, what would it be?

Very hard indeed! It would probably depend on my mood, but I do have a special place for the 8th and I can understand why Beethoven thought it a better work than the 7th (which I also love). If I was forced to choose though I'd probably go for individual movements and create a new symphony! - the 1st mov of the 4th, the 2nd movement of the 7th, the Scherzo of the 1st and the finale of the 8th.

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

Originally posted by Chaszz:


The fast movements of the 2nd are wonderful founts of energy just barely controlled by the crisp discipline of the high classical style that Beethoven inherited from Haydn and Mozart.

'Wonderful fast movements' is right!

Joy

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:

Very hard indeed! It would probably depend on my mood, but I do have a special place for the 8th and I can understand why Beethoven thought it a better work than the 7th (which I also love). If I was forced to choose though I'd probably go for individual movements and create a new symphony! - the 1st mov of the 4th, the 2nd movement of the 7th, the Scherzo of the 1st and the finale of the 8th.

I think you're on to something. I have to agree with you on all the movements you selected! This sounds like a wonderful symphony. We could each make our own!

Joy

[Gurn Blanston]

Lord, what a difficult question to answer. Now you've made me think (thank you ;-)). One of the first B symphony CD's I purchased when I began collecting was a coupling of the 2nd & 8th, and even though I have since gotten and listened to the others many times over, I must say that I often go back and pull that disk out to hear them again. It is one of the most played disks in my collection, in fact. So, I guess that's it then, 2 & 8 (is it OK to pick 2??;-))
Regards, Gurn

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by OboeKing:
Without a doubt, Beethoven's Ninth is his greatest work in the symphonic genre. His 3rd, 5th, and 6th are too among my favourite works. But out of his 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 8th, my personal favourite is the 7th. The glorious 4th movement sets my heart going double speed every time I hear it. If you had to pick a favourite out of these lesser known symphonies, what would it be?

Like Peter it is a mood thing for me. Sometimes I prefer the 6th, othertimes I'd rather listen to the 2nd, and so on. However, you reminded me of a time I listened to the 7th, played live by the local university orchestra. The finale was played with as much emotion and excitement as I have ever heard in my life, either on disc or live.

[OboeKing]

Originally posted by Peter:

Very hard indeed! It would probably depend on my mood, but I do have a special place for the 8th and I can understand why Beethoven thought it a better work than the 7th (which I also love). If I was forced to choose though I'd probably go for individual movements and create a new symphony! - the 1st mov of the 4th, the 2nd movement of the 7th, the Scherzo of the 1st and the finale of the 8th.

My ideal symphony, made up of different Beethoven symphonic movements, would be:

1 - Symphony 3, Movement 1.
2 - Symphony 6, 'Scene by the Brook'
3 - Symphony 9, Movement 3.
4 - Symphony 7, Movement 4.

What a lovely symphony that would be!

[mspaceray]

I wonder what Beethoven would have thought of the rearrangment of his work?

[John Rasmussen]

Originally posted by OboeKing:
If you had to pick a favourite out of these...symphonies, what would it be?

The one I'm listening to! Or the one I'm playing!

[John Rasmussen]

Originally posted by OboeKing:
My ideal symphony, made up of different Beethoven symphonic movements, would be:

1 - Symphony 3, Movement 1.
2 - Symphony 6, 'Scene by the Brook'
3 - Symphony 9, Movement 3.
4 - Symphony 7, Movement 4.

What a lovely symphony that would be!

What! Two slow movements and no scherzo? Or did you mean the 9th's 2nd movement?

I once tried to gather the movements in the manner you suggested, trying to arrange an "archetypal" Beethoven symphony, and found almost immediately that I had to exclude the Ninth, the archetype of archetypes. Doing that, I suppose I would choose:
1st movement: #5
Slow movement: #4
Scherzo: #2
Finale: #3
But that leaves me without the Seventh's relentless finale and the Third's monumental opening movement. You see the dilemma!?

Fortunately, all movements of all nine are available widely.

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by John Rasmussen:
What! Two slow movements and no scherzo? Or did you mean the 9th's 2nd movement?

I once tried to gather the movements in the manner you suggested, trying to arrange an "archetypal" Beethoven symphony, and found almost immediately that I had to exclude the Ninth, the archetype of archetypes. Doing that, I suppose I would choose:
1st movement: #5
Slow movement: #4
Scherzo: #2
Finale: #3
But that leaves me without the Seventh's relentless finale and the Third's monumental opening movement. You see the dilemma!?

Fortunately, all movements of all nine are available widely.

Add another movement. I cannot do such a thing myself. As soon as a given movement is over I expect the next one as Beethoven wrote it. I simply can't improve on that!