best 5th symphony

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Poll Results

OptionVotes
Shostakovich 6
Beethoven 5
Sibelius 3
Mahler 3
Prokofiev 2
Bruckner 2
Schubert 1
Mozart 0
Haydn 0
Williams 0


tempestuous alaskan nites! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Saturday, 31 March 2012 21:35 (thirteen years ago)

this is a shorter list than the list of composers who've written fifth symphonies but it's still a little longer than my instinct says - Mozart's 5th isn't up with the big numbers here. This poll inspired by Shosta Fucking Kovich whose 5th is some serious business imo.

tempestuous alaskan nites! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Saturday, 31 March 2012 21:37 (thirteen years ago)

Ha, a few hours after I post something wondering if I'm the only Mendelssohn fan on here, THERE'S THIS.

timellison, Saturday, 31 March 2012 23:30 (thirteen years ago)

Though I'll grant you that Mendelssohn No. 5 is not my favorite. (Wasn't Mendelssohn's, either.)

timellison, Saturday, 31 March 2012 23:35 (thirteen years ago)

mahler over beethoven

balls, Saturday, 31 March 2012 23:57 (thirteen years ago)

the schubert symphonies apart from the ninth and the unifinished are kinda undervalued i think, so i voted for him

The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Sunday, 1 April 2012 00:14 (thirteen years ago)

there is probably some sort of strategy to listen to beethoven #5 quasi tabula rasa but idk what it is

The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Sunday, 1 April 2012 00:17 (thirteen years ago)

"Concord Sonata" on repeat? I associate bah-bah-bah-BUM with Beethoven no more

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Sunday, 1 April 2012 00:42 (thirteen years ago)

the problem is more how the phrase 'beethovens fifth' and those four notes are synecdoche for 'classical music'

The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Sunday, 1 April 2012 00:45 (thirteen years ago)

i like most of those composers better than tchaikovsky, but the answer's tchaikovsky's 5th.

glumdalclitch, Sunday, 1 April 2012 00:58 (thirteen years ago)

Shosty is of course all time. The Mahler was one of my first loves. Bruckner's is one of his best. Who is Williams? Vaughan Williams? I like that too.

glumdalclitch, Sunday, 1 April 2012 01:02 (thirteen years ago)

Am re-listening to Mendelssohn's fifth now and it is JUST LOVELY. I lobby a formal protest.

And to quote Busoni re. F.M. once again - "the true heir to Mozart."

timellison, Sunday, 1 April 2012 04:47 (thirteen years ago)

the problem is more how the phrase 'beethovens fifth' and those four notes are synecdoche for 'classical music'

― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Saturday, March 31, 2012 8:45 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

except that's the ninth

i don't believe in zimmerman (Hurting 2), Sunday, 1 April 2012 04:56 (thirteen years ago)

er wait, no it isn't nm

i don't believe in zimmerman (Hurting 2), Sunday, 1 April 2012 04:57 (thirteen years ago)

anyway Prokofiev 5 is great, tempted to vote for it just bc no one else probably will

i don't believe in zimmerman (Hurting 2), Sunday, 1 April 2012 04:59 (thirteen years ago)

I like to scorn obvious choices, but Beethoven just steamrollers my snobbery. The way that last movement starts? Man.

Shostakovich comes in second.

Tchaikovsky was an omission, to be sure. But not a contender for best. Admission: I haven't heard Schubert, Mahler, Haydn.

B'wana Beast, Sunday, 1 April 2012 05:24 (thirteen years ago)

"the true heir to Mozart."

Or, sorry, "AN heir to Mozart," but also, I believe, "a master of undisputed greatness."

timellison, Sunday, 1 April 2012 06:07 (thirteen years ago)

feel like I should listen to A Sea Symphony before I vote, that's the dark horse here

also do consider the Anton Bruckner bottle opener before you pull the lever

http://www.abruckner.com/getimage.asp?id=/store/collectables/antonbrucknerbottl/&filename=bottle.jpg&mode=6

tempestuous alaskan nites! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 1 April 2012 09:02 (thirteen years ago)

Admission: I haven't heard Schubert, Mahler, Haydn
kudos to anyone who has heard the Haydn!

Jeff W, Sunday, 1 April 2012 10:15 (thirteen years ago)

mahler mahler mahler mahler mahler mahler mahler mahler

red is hungry green is jawless (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 April 2012 11:28 (thirteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Saturday, 7 April 2012 00:01 (thirteen years ago)

Sibelius for me, but not by a mile. Almost every Fifth on this list is tremendous. Actually, Nielsen's (not listed) might be the greatest of all.

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 01:40 (thirteen years ago)

Vaughan Williams and Bax actually dedicated their Fifths to Sibelius iirc

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 01:43 (thirteen years ago)

Has anyone composed a Fifth using nothing but fifths? Someone should.

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 01:44 (thirteen years ago)

xxp I should listen to more Nielsen. Loved some of the symphonic stuff Corey once hooked me up with.

Turangalila, Saturday, 7 April 2012 01:45 (thirteen years ago)

I don't love all his stuff but the 4th and 5th are astounding.

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 02:57 (thirteen years ago)

I'm a fan 3-6, but yes the 5th is amazing.

Voted Bruckner — the slow movement alone is just astounding.

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 03:05 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBT4WrJl85M

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 03:09 (thirteen years ago)

But fuck, the Adagietto from M5 is achingly gorgeous even though it tends to get overplayed these days

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 03:15 (thirteen years ago)

Write-in for Ives' Holidays

Milton Parker, Saturday, 7 April 2012 03:19 (thirteen years ago)

My favorite M5 movement is ii. I like me a storm.

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 03:26 (thirteen years ago)

the finale is wonderful too, just exploding with energy

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 04:31 (thirteen years ago)

I can't decide, comparing Shostakovich 5 to Mahler 5 to Beethoven 5? Dude.

Thinking about how each symphony stands in regard to same composer's other works, it'd certainly be Bruckner. The 5th symphony is bloody great, the coolest tonal relationships, big and beautiful decisions, I like it more than anything else by him save a few choral things.

But Bruckner's music is (for me) so problematic I can't vote for him; voted Sibelius.

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Saturday, 7 April 2012 04:58 (thirteen years ago)

I don't think I've ever heard choral Bruckner. :O

Turangalila, Saturday, 7 April 2012 05:02 (thirteen years ago)

Ah, his motets are nice, if you like Bruckner. "Christus factus est", "Locus iste".

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Saturday, 7 April 2012 05:11 (thirteen years ago)

I thought you hated Bruckner.

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 05:24 (thirteen years ago)

1. shostakovich
2. mahler
3. beethoven, which is still totally powerful dudes, let yourself go

Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Saturday, 7 April 2012 06:47 (thirteen years ago)

@tanuki *Hate*, yeah, I do, as concert music.

I've argued it irl and it's not that interesting a discussion, but it's slow music, the gestures are given more weight than time can bear. I'll listen to a Bruckner when I'm doing stuff around the house, or at the computer, it's smart music. But then I'll masochistically sit through the symphony in the concert hall, stultified, still convinced that I'm the problem, not Bruckner. But it doesn't work for me. It dwells on every colour in a way that feels self-voyeuristic.

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Saturday, 7 April 2012 14:03 (thirteen years ago)

I guess I appreciate the overarching construction of the syms and the way it all feels made of giant chordal blocks more than for the excitement of it all — not that his music isn't thrilling, but when listened to the same way one listens to Mahler or other late romantics he's not as satisfying.

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 14:38 (thirteen years ago)

Sorry, can't help myself. Blame Jim Bouton, blame SCTV, blame Fernwood 2 Night, blame the '70s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MFbn8EbB4k

clemenza, Saturday, 7 April 2012 15:26 (thirteen years ago)

what Owen says is a lot of why I love Bruckner - his vision of the symphony necessitates a complete reorganization of your listening habits. Celibidache got this, I think. I think when people perform Bruckner, there ought to be mattresses on the floor, and blankets, and most of the lights should be off.

I still ended up voting Shostakovich, though that's probably partly because I went longest without hearing that & so it's the newest, to me, of the ones I'm familiar with here.

same old song and placenta (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Saturday, 7 April 2012 15:44 (thirteen years ago)

I haven't heard ANY of the Shostakovich syms!

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:05 (thirteen years ago)

!!!!

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:12 (thirteen years ago)

10, 5, 14, 8, 4

That's the first five of them I would push on you in that order.

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:15 (thirteen years ago)

With 10 and 5 in a tie p much

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:15 (thirteen years ago)

^^

10 loses the plot on the 4th mvt. but the first three (esp. the first, HOLY SHIT, 24 minutes of unspooling darkness), just *the best*.

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:19 (thirteen years ago)

thanks!

tanuki, Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:23 (thirteen years ago)

fuck it, just go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIpN187GP_E

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:23 (thirteen years ago)

keep kleenex handy

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:27 (thirteen years ago)

to really enjoy brucker u need cognac or benzos and a dark cavernous room on a winter night where u are all alone and nobody can see u air-conduct

The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:29 (thirteen years ago)

sometimes u can see the chooooorrrrrrds gently waft up to the rafters

The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:33 (thirteen years ago)

haha

Turangalila, Saturday, 7 April 2012 16:59 (thirteen years ago)

sometimes u can see the chooooorrrrrrds gently waft up to the rafters

otm. Bruckner must be played loud (for me, on headphones) so you can really get inside those intervals.

Also I feel like we are overlooking his scherzo movements where headbanging is surely obligatory.

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 7 April 2012 17:45 (thirteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Sunday, 8 April 2012 00:01 (thirteen years ago)

shosSTACKovich

Jamón Sibérico (Ówen P.), Sunday, 8 April 2012 02:03 (thirteen years ago)

Sleestackovich

tales from endoscopic oceans (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 8 April 2012 03:50 (thirteen years ago)

otm. Bruckner must be played loud (for me, on headphones) so you can really get inside those intervals.

Herreweghe really cranks up the loud parts of Bruckner to the point where it's kinda distracting to me

same old song and placenta (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 8 April 2012 05:45 (thirteen years ago)

Ha, that's the recording that sold that sym for me.

tanuki, Sunday, 8 April 2012 05:48 (thirteen years ago)


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