10 ESSENTIAL 20TH CENTURY SYMPHONIES for BEGINNERS
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 พ.ย. 2022
- Here are 10 amazing symphonies from the true "golden age" of the orchestra--the first half of the 20th century:
Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Sibelius: Symphony No. 7
Hindemith: Symphony “Mathis der Maler”
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5
Roussel: Symphony No. 3
Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony
Copland: Symphony No. 3
Martinu: Symphony No. 4
Honegger: Symphony No. 3 “Liturgique”
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - เพลง
A great list of great works. My Dad - aged 90 - doesn't usually like 20th Century classical music but as Vaughan Williams's London Symphony played in its entirety on UK station Classic FM about 15 years ago - as we were playing Trivial Pursuit at Christmas - he was absolutely bowled over by it is and said it was beautiful. I've become a bit obsessed with Honegger's scary “Liturgique”. I'd love to hear a similar list of 10 essential 20th Century symphonies for beginners from the second half of the 20th Century.
I love these "beginner's" lists. I've been a listener for forty years (including back when I'd formulate arguments in my head with a certain [*cough*] opinionated guy [*cough*] in Fanfare), but I followed my own tastes and neglected many of these works in all of these lists. I'm lucky that I will always be a "beginner".
But--flattery aside--after the symphonists on this list, there're so many more. Nielsen, Lloyd, Tubin, Schnittke, Holmboe, Rautavaara, Rubbra: it really was an amazing century.
Yes *cough* it was.
I played the piano part in Prokofiev 5, and it was one of the highlights of my orchestral keyboard career. It's the best piece ever, basically.
One thing I love about 20th century music (and late 19th) is orchestration and orchestral colour. It simply reaches new heights during that era due to benefit of hindsight and development of the instruments.
In my alternate universe, there is a Dukedom called Hurwitzonia, where the Duke, in 1860 established his own orchestra and commissioned works from the most famous composers of the day. He died in 1920 at the ripe old age of 90, just after he commissioned a ballet from the composer Ravel. The Duke will forever be remembered for persuading Verdi to complete his last opera, Il re Lear.
Orbits planet Baxia, along with the moon Bantockia
There were alot of great pieces that were commissioned by Koussevitzky for the 50th Anniversary of the BSO...Roussel's 3rd, Honegger's 1st, Hanson's 2nd, Prokofiev's 4th, and Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms among others...and their 75th Anniversary season was pretty amazing too...The 6th symphonies of Martinu, Mihaud and Piston, plus the Villa Lobos 11th, the Dutilleux 2nd, what a fertile time the 20th Century was!!!
I already made a video about them.
Thanks David. For not beeing a "beginner" it was very interesting to listen to your choise of symphonies. It was very pedagogical and covered most important styles of the period. Noticeable is that you stopped at the half-centuryturn. I know that since then it hasn´t been "trendy" in the classical world to write symphonies, but a bunch of composers didn´t bother and wrote amazing pieces. It would be exiting to get your list of symphonies from the second half of the 20th century. I can suggest some names only from my part of the world, Pettersson, Kokkonen, Holmboe, Nörgard, and still there must be dozens of wonderful symphonies from other countries.
One thing that is clear, I have to say that I agree that Mahler 9 is on the list. It was my favorite because for me individually (in my humble opinion), I can feel the sensational effect between me and Mahler. Unlike many of his other symphonies (Mahler 7, and THE beginning of Mahler 2!!!!- it is beautiful!!!!- but I was not yet ready for it) Just hope anyone who come into his journey of life, feel comfortable and ENJOY. Mahler music is not meant to be overheard, it was meant to be experienced!!!!!!!!!
Jackpot, Dave. I have every one of these in my collection!
The very ending of Shostakovich s 5th Symphony is a timpanists moment of total exposure!
Excellent list.
What a great list!
That Roussel is such a gem. Can't wait to hear more of his work
Great list! My first Martinu symphony was the 6th on a mono lp, performed by Munch and the BSO. That has hooked me for life.
This is THE Essential list so far!!.
I adore Mr.Hurwitz imitating orchestra playing.
It always reminds me of an old funny story:
- I don't like the way Caruso sings.
-Have you ever heard his singing?
- No, but old Rabinowitz had reproduced it to me.
Hi David, I learned about Martinu from your channel and have been enjoying his music ever since, his chamber music is really nice too. Thank you for that. I have a suggestion for topic, I thought might be interesting to do a talk on symphonies with motto theme like Tchaikovsky's 4th. Probably there are a lot that I hear and wont easily recognise and your analysis as always just brings it to the light. Thanks!
Thanks for the suggestion. I will think about it.
@@DavesClassicalGuide No worries, thanks for considering
As you rightly say, even the British didn't start writing symphonies until the late Victorian era. The UK didn't produce any great composers until Charles Villiers Stanford (b.1852) - and he was Irish. So the golden age for British orchestral music was definitely the early 20th century, like everywhere else. Thank you for your recommendations - I'm not a beginner, but every so often I like to start from the beginning again, just to keep it fresh.
I remember hearing Munch and the Boston Symphony and Leinsdorf and the Cleveland Orchestra in Wellington many decades ago when they visited here. Sadly, it doesn't happen now. Too expensive, I guess.
Another great list, David. As far as the finale of the Shostakovich 5th is concerned, give me Lenny any day. For me, the music cries out to be dramatic and exciting at the end. The work was presented at a concert by the NZSO a few years ago and the conductor was of the other school and it became so turgid I thought it was never going to end.
I was introduced to that symphony, and to Shostakovich, when the Leningrad Philharmonic visited Ann Arbor during the Cold War (in 1962). It was a revelation that continues to reveal itself. I have heard all the Shostakovich symphonies in the years since, and they never cease to reveal new treasures for my ears.
@@genebodzin3480 Hi, Gene. I have for some time now considered him to be the finest 20th-century symphonist and I also agree with you that the works never cease to amaze me either. The only one I have difficulty with is No. 14 (I'm overlooking Nos 2 and 3 as I don't really know them well enough to comment)
I was lucky enough, John, to hear Lenny conducting the Mahler 5th with the NYPO in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the 1970s. Fabulous! Doesn't happen these days! (Full foreign orchestras, I mean). Also heard the NZSO play the Shostakovich 10th in Wellington this year. Not at all turgid! 🙂
Pretty much my favourite Period, all that large scale symphonic stuff happening
A great list, many thanks for this video. On the subject of symphonies, I wonder if you're familiar with the symphonies of Robert Simpson and if so, what your impressions are. I've always enjoyed his Second.
I've discussed them elsewhere. You can see my reviews at Classicstoday.com.
Hi Dave, i really enjoyed that video, especially when i discover new composers. A suggestion for a future video, and at the same time a challenge. Top 10 symphonies of the 20th century by numbers and only one per composer; top symphony no.1, no.2, and so on until symphony no.10 i guess, because after that Shostakovich will win them all. I can see a lot of good battles between Prokofiev, Shostakovitch and Sibelius.
From No. 4 on you have to deal with Mahler...
@@DavesClassicalGuide Yes of course, but only one Mahler can be choose. For me i will take the ninth because i don't see any other symphony no.9 than can compete. It's like choosing Shostakovitch no.5, after that who would you take for the no.10 . Not that easy.
Thanks for recognizing such a fertile period of symphonic music. I think younger listeners can appreciate this music because of their familiarity with its advanced tonal language passed down through the scores of contemporary film composers. I'm so spoiled by the late 19th and 20th century symphonies that even Beethoven and Schubert now sound tame to me, so I have to adjust to other elements of their greatness when listening to them.
Here are some comments in response:
1. Anton Webern of the Second Viennese School composed a Symphony, Op. 21, but if you leave the room when listening to its recording, it may be over by the time you return.
2. Would you say that Hindemith's Symphony "Mathis de Maler" created a furor with Die Fuehrer? I regret that I never composed a symphony for male vocalist and orchestra in the late Viennese style titled "Johnny Mathis and Mahler."
3. With the French influence of opera, ballet and Parisian follies, could his No. 3 be referred to as Roussel's Symphony 'Carousel'?
4. If you first heard Andrew Lloyd Webber's theme from his musical Phantom of the Opera before hearing Ralph Vaughan William's A London Symphony, you might be tempted to think that RVW lifted it from Webber. No, he was A.L. Webber and not Carl Maria Von Weber, composer of the 19th century German opera Der Freishutz, although perhaps Andrew could cook a mean serving of fried bean shoots.
5. The fourth movement Finale of Shostakovich's 5th is a bombastic foil to shade the heart-wrenching third movement. The Largo left the audience at the premiere visibly weeping and audibly sobbing for their missing relatives and friends which Stalin's state terror had either killed or exiled to Siberia. In this perspective, it makes the Finale's ponderous Coda seem like the triumph of the totalitarian state stomping on the masses. No wonder the authorities loved it.
As most people will know.. it's Andrew Lloyd Webber, not Weber.
@@timothybridgewater5795 Thanks, I'll correct my off the cuff remarks.
Ernst Krenek was a major symphonist in Germany, contemporary with Hindemith. l hope you will discuss him (if you haven't already). I have recently started listening to his works and am surprised at how little known he apparently is.
He wasn't a major symphonist anywhere. He happened to write symphonies. That doesn't make him major.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I see also that he was Austrian (before moving to the US). I agree that he was not major in terms of being well known, but please listen again to say, his 4th symphony, and maybe reconsider. I find him similar to Mahler in his dramatic structure and orchestral forces (but I admit I'm not an expert). Thanks.
@@anthonycook6213 I didn't say he didn't write some good music--this isn't about what we like or wish others would like more. It's about the judgment of "history" up to this point.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thanks David. I want you to know that I value your suggestions, and as a result am having a great time acquainting myself with Poulanc.
@@anthonycook6213 Thank you. Beats the heck out of Krenek! ;)
I got to hear the gong! At long last!!
David hits it from time to time. Happily for his hearing, not too often.
Do you have any thoughts as to why the golden age of piano sonatas/piano-included chamber music/concertos occurred before the advent of the modern steel framed grand piano?
Did it?
@@DavesClassicalGuide I guess it depends on what you include as the golden age, but Hayden-Brahms all would fit under that period, and contributed the bulk of the genres most revered compositions imo. Happy to hear a different perspective though
I don't think this is correct as regards concertos and piano/chamber music, and I also don't think the construction of the piano had anything to do with it.
@@DavesClassicalGuide interesting! I guess that makes me wonder why technical innovations led at least in part to the golden period for symphonies but not as much so for at least the piano sonatas (I.e. most of the major technical innovations were yet to come even by Brahms’ completion of his last sonata)
@@gabrielvalle5182 I wasn't talking about technical innovations with respect to symphonies. I was talking economics: the existence of numerous orchestras, not how they were constituted.
No. Nothing great was written last week. I am not too familiar with three or four composers on the list. I usually like to collect sets of symphonies rather than single issues. Can you recommend symphony collections by Roussel, Martinu and Honegger? Thanks.
I've already made videos about them. Check the playlists.
I'm not sure if the first half of the 20th century is the golden age of orchestral music, but it is without a doubt the golden age of opera. Maybe you could compile a similar list?
You look like you're testing the dryness of your new deodorant in your thumbnail. At any rate, yes, there are weirdos out there who think nothing good was written after Mozart. I knew one of them. And he wasn't joking.
You mean tasting, not testing. I won't say anything about YOUR thumbnail.